A Tale As Old As Time
by TheAuthor1996
Summary: Merchant Maurice lives within the village of Aldore with his two eldest sons, Killian and Robin and his youngest daughter Belle. Maurice receives word that one of his ships that was thought long lost has been brought into harbour within the next kingdom and must travel there in order to check the cargo in hopes that it will restore his family's fortune. AU
1. Family Is The Greatest Treasure

**A Tale As Old As Time**

 **Chapter 1: - Family Is The Greatest Treasure**

The sun rose over the North Mountains bringing a new day to the village of Aldore. Belle stirred in her bed and smiled softly as her eyes fluttered open and she smiled as the sun shone through her window and she threw back the covers and rose from her bed. She put on her robe before heading down stairs and she got started on breakfast,

"Robin! Killian! Breakfast is on the table!" she called out but received no answer as she placed the bowls on the table and she rolled her eyes before heading upstairs and opening the door to Killian and Robin's bed chamber and she rolled her eyes when she found her two lazy brothers lying on their beds snoring loudly. No doubt Robin was out trying to charm the apple of his eye, Regina all night and Killian….. Well he was probably in the tavern all night drinking Rum,

"Wake up sleepy heads" she said before walking over to the window and threw open the curtains allowing sunlight to flood the room and Killian groaned,

"Belle lass give us a break. I was having a lovely dream" he complained before putting his pillow over his head and Belle giggled,

"Yes and I'm having a nightmare and its name is Killian and Robin" she said teasing before nudging Robin's shoulder and he stirred before retrieving his own pillow,

"Hmmmmmm…. Regina" he murmured in a dream state and pressed a kiss to the pillow and Killian growled before sitting up and threw his own pillow at him,

"Wake up you love-struck moron. Urrrrrrr I swear every night when he comes home It's Regina this and Regina that. Why don't you just seal the deal and marry the girl already" he moaned before retrieving his shirt from the floor and he put it on and Robin glared after his brother who walked past Belle after pressing a good morning kiss to her cheek,

"Well at least I'm not considering getting married to a bottle of Rum!" he yelled after him and Belle giggled and tossed Robin his own shirt,

"Instead of arguing with each other like two five year olds go down and have your breakfast. Father wants you tending to the fields early this morning. It's nearing harvest time" she said and Robin smiled before standing and giving her a good morning kiss on the cheek,

"Ok. Orders accepted sister" he said before heading downstairs and Belle giggled before following.

* * *

Killian was already tucking into his breakfast when Robin took his seat at the table before tucking in himself,

"Ummmmmm delicious as always Belle. Thank you" Killian said before taking a swig of water from his cup and Belle giggled,

"You're more than welcome dear brother" she said innocently,

"But don't think that's getting you off the hook…. Hand it over" she finished off and held out her hand towards him and he growled and Robin chuckled,

"Busted" he said amused as Hook rooted inside his shirt and retrieved his rum flask and handed it to Belle with a defeated expression before returning to his breakfast.

* * *

Belle smiled and retrieved her shawl and basket,

"Ok have a good time at work you two, stay out of trouble and if you need me I'll be…." She began but both Robin and Killian finished her sentence for her,

"The Book Shop" they finished together and both burst out laughing and Belle rolled her eyes and giggled,

"Very funny you two" she said before giving them both a kiss goodbye on their cheeks,

"See you later" she said before heading off to the village.

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed chapter 1. Please review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter :D**

 **I wanted Belle to have some brothers so I thought Killian and Robin were the best choice. We'll get to know them both better as the story goes on :)**

 **In the next chapter you'll be introduced to Maurice.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	2. A Trip To The Village

**Chapter 2: - A Trip To The Village**

Belle walked through the village, smiling and greeting her fellow villages as she went before reaching the bakery,

"Good morning Mr Johnson" she greeted the baker who smiled,

"Ahhhhh Good morning Belle such a pleasure to see you. Can I get you anything today?" he asked politely and she smiled looking at the many pastries on offer,

"Yes I'd like a loaf please….. No doubt my father skipped breakfast before heading out early this morning so I'm picking him up some bread and then some meat from the butchers and he can have an early lunch instead" she explained with a giggle and the baker smiled as he wrapped up her loaf for her,

"And let me guess after that you're off to the book shop" he said amused and Belle giggled,

"It seems that I'm predictable" she said and he smiled as he handed her the wrapped loaf and she handed over the money with a smile,

"Thank you" she said kindly placing the loaf into her basket,

"You're welcome have a good day" he called after her and she smiled over her shoulder,

"You too Mr Johnson!" she called back before heading off towards the butchers.

* * *

Maurice was a trade merchant and business was not going well. His sons cared for the fields which brought in some money that kept them going but it wasn't much. He sighed sadly as he looked at the picture of his beloved wife who had passed 19 years prior,

"Oh Marina… I miss you. Things are not going well" he said sadly before looking at the piling bills on his desk. That was when Belle entered,

"Morning Father" she said happily with a smile, going over and pressing a kiss to his cheek and placed her basket on his desk, Maurice had quickly hidden his sad expression when she entered and smiled when she kissed his cheek,

"I've brought you food. Knowing you, you haven't had a break and have forgotten to eat" she teased and Maurice chuckled,

"Thank you my dear you're beautiful both on the inside and out and….." he began wanting her to finish and Belle giggled rolling her eyes amused before finishing for him,

"And that's why you named me Belle" she said with a giggle and hugged him,

"I love you papa" she said softly and he smiled and hugged her back,

"I Love you too my dearest Belle" he replied gently and placed a kiss to her forehead,

"Where are you off too today?" he asked as he retrieved the loaf and meat from her basket and proceeded to make himself a sandwich, Belle smiled,

"I came to visit you and then I'm off to the bookshop" she said happily and Maurice chuckled,

"Oh Belle. You and your books. I don't know where you get it from" he said amused as he prepared his sandwich and Belle smiled softly,

"I like to think that I get my love of books from my mother" she said gently with a trace of hope in her voice and Maurice paused in his actions before sighing sadly,

"Belle….. You know how I feel when it comes to talking about her" he said and Belle sighed and looked down sadly,

"I'm sorry papa" she said guiltily with a sad sigh.

Belle knew that her father didn't like to talk aloud about her mother. The pain was too great for him. Belle couldn't even remember her mother. She had been just a baby when she died.

Maurice sighed and left his sandwich and walked over to his daughter, taking her hands gently and helped her to stand before hugging her and she hugged him back and rested her head on his shoulder. Maurice pulled back gently and cupped her cheek softly,

"Now….. No more talk of sadness you head off and have a good day" he said gently with a smile and Belle returned it before pressing a kiss to his cheek,

"Ok papa. I'll see you later…." She said before retrieving her shawl and basket,

"Oh and before I leave the town messenger told me to pass this onto you as I was coming in" she said before retrieving an envelope marked urgent from her basket and handed it to him and he took it gratefully,

"Thank you my dear. Now go have fun" he said with a smile and she left. That was when Maurice looked at the envelope curiously before opening it.

* * *

Meanwhile in the hayfields a shirtless Killian lent against the hay wagon flirting with a group of swooning young ladies who giggled every time he spoke,

"Do any of you lovely young lasses have any Rum in your procession?" he asked with a wink and they all giggled,

"Oh I'll be happy to get you some Killian" one blond girl said but was pushed out of the way by a brunette,

"No I'll get you some Killian" she interrupted quickly but was pushed by another blond,

"Hey I'll get him some" she said jealously and all three girls began to bicker and Killian gave a dazzling white smiled,

"Ladies, Ladies please I would be honoured to retrieve a bottle of Rum from a group of lovely ladies such as yourselves" he praised with yet another wink and they giggled and Killian smirked and called over his shoulder,

"Do you want anything little brother?" he asked and Robin glared to himself as he continued to harvest the weak before turning,

"Little bother?! We're the same age and no in the answer to your question because I am hard at work which is what you should be doing" he said angrily and Killian simply kept smiling at the three young ladies,

"Can't you see that I am at work dear brother….. I am being mesmerised by these three angels" he said and all of them blushed and giggled as they went off to retrieve his rum quickly.

Killian chuckled as he returned to his work spot where Robin was grumbling angrily to himself,

"I think I know what's wrong little brother….. You're upset because here I am getting all the lovely female attention and you haven't seen your beloved Regina since yesterday" he said amused and Robin growled before turning to him,

"I'll have you know that I am fed up of doing all the work whilst all you do is slack off and as for Regina she's coming by soon to see me" he said proudly before returning to work and Killian simply made a mocking mimicking face behind his back when he heard a horse approaching and he looked up and smiled charmingly,

"Hey Regina" he said and Robin behind him didn't look up,

"I'm not falling for that again Killian" he said firmly and Regina giggled to herself,

"Good morning to you too Robin" she said and Robin quickly turned and accidentally tripped over his own feet but managed not to fall over,

"Regina!... Hi….. Sorry I….. I thought Killian was messing with me…." He said and tried to act cool before leaning against the hay wagon and folded his muscular arms,

"How is your day going?" he asked charmingly and Killian rolled his eyes before putting a hand over them unimpressed with his brother's flirting skills. Regina giggled,

"Very well thank you. Me and my friend Emma are just on a trail ride. We got into a race and I think I won" she said proudly and Robin chuckled,

"I expect nothing less from the kingdom's best rider" he said proudly and she giggled with a slight blush,

"Thank you Robin" she said before dismounting her steed and went straight into his arms where they shared a sweet kiss. Killian groaned unimpressed,

"Oh please would you to please get a room?" he asked and Robin chuckled against Regina's lips and nudged her nose with his own gently,

"Gladly" he said winking at Regina and she giggled with a blush before they kissed again.

Emma soon caught up with Regina and paused her horse's pace,

"You could have at least waited for me Regina….. Oh Please get a room" she said as she saw both Robin and Regina engaged in a sweet kiss. Killian shrugged his shoulders at the blond girl,

"Don't bother lass. No matter how many times you say it they'll pretend they can't hear you" he said,

Emma simply rolled her eyes before retrieving a flask from her saddle bag and taking a swig. That's what made Killian do a double take,

"Excuse me lass but would I be mistaken if I thought that flask was filled with rum?" he asked and Emma smiled too herself before taking another swig,

"Fresh from the bottle" she confirmed and offered it to him,

"Want some?" she offered and Killian smiled brightly as he accepted,

"Oh please my angelic saviour tell me your name" he said dramatically and she rolled her eyes,

"My name's Emma Swan not 'angelic saviour'" she said and he smiled charmingly,

"Well my darling Swan I thank you for gracing me with your golden presence" he flirted but Emma simply rolled her eyes unimpressed,

"I'm not your darling….. Keep the flask I don't need it" she said simply,

"Regina hurry up" she said firmly before kicking her horse and raced off and Regina smiled and placed one more kiss upon Robin's lips,

"I have to go…. I'll see you later" she said softly before pulling away from his strong arms reluctantly and mounted her horse before riding off and Robin smiled after her before returning to work.

Killian had smiled as he watched the blond haired lass ride away leaving a dust cloud behind her. He looked down at the silver flask in his hand and brushed his thumb across the initials inscribed on its surface. _'E.S'_ Killian swore to himself silently in that moment that he would definitely be seeing Emma Swan again.

* * *

 **Hey everyone,**

 **I hope you all enjoyed chapter 2 :D lots of OutlawQueen with a slight trace of CaptainSwan in this chapter hehe it was my first time writing a scene between both ships so I hope you all enjoyed it. Please review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter.**

 **Next time of A Tale As Old As Time: The content's of Maurice's mysterious urgent letter will be revealed.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	3. Before Anyone Else

**Chapter 3: - Before Anyone Else**

As Killian and Robin finished their day of working at the fields. Belle was leaving the book shop with three new books,

"Thank you Mr Waterstone. I'll see you soon" she said happily as she closed the door behind her gently.

She began her journey home when she heard a noise coming from within an alleyway. It sounded like a child crying so she instantly went to investigate.

She walked slowly towards the crying before hesitantly popping her ahead around a parked carriage to find a crying little boy hiding his face in his knees,

"Hello" she said gently and little boy looked up startled but Belle held up both her hands showing that she meant no harm,

"It's ok….. I'm not going to hurt you" she said with a gentle smile,

"I'm Belle….. What's your name?" she asked gently but the boy remained silent as if he was nervous. It was then that Belle noticed his leg was cut,

"You're hurt" she said with a concerned tone and removed her shawl,

"Will you let me bandage it?" she asked gently and the little boy nodded gently and Belle smiled softly as the little boy sat down on a crate and allowed her to tend to his leg. She cleaned his wound with a flask of water she had in her basket and the little boy winced, closing her eyes tightly but he still didn't say anything and Belle smiled reassuringly as she bandaged his leg using her shawl,

"There we go" she said with a gentle smile,

"Feel better?" she asked gently but the little boy simply smiled gently before hugging her and he still didn't say a word and Belle was stunned for a moment but she smiled softly and hugged him back gently.

It was then that a hooded woman appeared at the entrance of the alleyway,

"Bae!... I've been looking for you everywhere your father will be worried sick about you" she said with an expression taking his hand before leading him out the alleyway before turning to Belle with a firm expression,

"And as for you….. Just stay away from Bae" she said firmly before storming away and Belle tried to call after her,

"I'm Sorry!... I was only trying to…" when she turned the corner of the alleyway she discovered that they had vanished,

"Help" she finished off hopelessly and sighed before retrieving her basket and once again began her journey home.

* * *

The woman held Bae's hand as they appeared at the far edge of the forest and she knelt down so she was eye level with him,

"What were you thinking?" she asked in a firm yet gentle tone,

"You know your father has forbidden you from speaking to anyone outside the castle" she said and Bae looked her desperately,

"Please Nana Marian Don't tell my papa. She was only helping me and I didn't speak to her I didn't even tell her my name" he said panicking and Marian sighed before thinking,

"You're positive that she doesn't know anything?" she asked firmly and Bae nodded quickly,

"I promise Nana Marian" he swore before reaching down and undoing Belle's shawl from his leg and as if by magic his wound was completely gone and Marian nodded as Bae hid the shawl within his shirt,

"Ok…. This can stay just between you and me. Today never happened" she said and Bae nodded in agreement.

* * *

Belle was shocked when both her brothers hugged her tightly,

"Whoa!" she said with a giggle and hugged them back,

"What's all the fuss?" she asked and Killian smiled brightly,

"Oh dear sister one of father's ships have been found and pulled into harbour within the neighbouring kingdom!" he told her excitedly and Belle smiled brightly,

"Oh my goodness that's wonderful!" she squealed in delight, hugging her brothers tightly once more before going and hugging her father tightly to which he happily returned,

"Oh my beloved children I shall ride out immediately to inspect the ship's cargo and then I'll sell everything I can within Market and I'll bring you all back the best that money can buy" he announced and Killian and Robin high fived each other,

"YES!... Father please can you bring me back the best engagement ring money can buy….. With your blessing I'd like to ask Regina if she will be my wife" he said and Belle giggled in delight as her father placed his hand on Robin's shoulder,

"Consider it done my son" he said proudly and Killian patted Robin's shoulder,

"Well done mate" he said,

"Father Can you bring me back the biggest crate of Rum you can find?….. So that we can celebrate Robin's engagement of course" he said innocently and Maurice chuckled before wrapping his arm around Killian's neck and rubbing his knuckled against his head in a teasing manner,

"Oh Killian my predictable son…. You can have two crates" he said happily with a chuckle before smiling at Belle,

"And what do you wish for Belle?" he asked and Belle simply smiled,

"I just want you to come home safely" she said gently before hugging him and Maurice smiled and brushed a lock of hair out of her eyes,

"Oh my sweet Belle….. You never ask for anything. Please tell me what you desire and I will bring it back for you" he pleaded and Belle smiled softly to herself for a moment as if thinking before looking once more at her father,

"Could you bring me back a rose?" she asked gently and her father looked stunned,

"A rose?... Belle are you sure that's all you want?" he asked and she nodded with a smile,

"I'm sure papa….. All I want is a Rose?" she said gently and her father smiled brightly before pressing a kiss to her forehead,

"Then a rose you shall have… Your gifts my children shall be the first things I buy with our new found wealth because my family comes before anyone else" he said before hugging his children.

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed chapter 3. I just wanted to assure everyone that in this story Marian and Robin will not be interested in each other but I like using characters from OUAT so I made her Bae's Nanny. OutlawQueen Forever! (I support all ships) Please review and let me know what you think :D**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**

 **p.s:**

 **did anyone notice how the bookshop keeper is named 'Mr Waterstone' after the bookshop? ;)**

 **and did you also notice that the first letter of each word of the title of this chapter spells out Bae's name? ;)**

 **hehe I'm sneaky**

 ***Insert Rumple Giggle***


	4. A Merchant's Worst Nightmare

**Chapter 4: - A Merchant's Worst Nightmare**

Maurice set off on his journey to the docks of the neighbouring kingdom. He was greeted by the ship master who had taken charge of bringing his ship into port when they had found it drifting. Maurice shook the man's hand excitedly,

"Thank you my good man you have no idea what a gift you have bestowed upon me and my family" he said excitedly and the man frowned awkwardly,

"Yes…. The thing is Mr Maurice…." He began but Maurice's mind was on more important things right now,

"I'm sorry but we'll discuss things later. I have to inspect the cargo hold" he told him quickly before rushing on boards and the ship master frowned,

"Mr Maurice wait I have to tell you something" he called after him as he followed him but by the time he caught up with the Merchant, he had already opened the cargo hole and to his despair, he found his merchandise swimming in shallow water and he couldn't bring himself to speak. Everything was ruined,

"I'm very sorry Mr Maurice….. I tried to tell you." He said sympathetically,

"It seems your ship was damaged during a storm… By the time me and my men brought it into port….. It was too late to save your cargo." He explained sadly knowing how much this meant to the old man. Maurice was silent for a long while before he finally spoke,

"Thank you for your services" he said solemnly before closing the cargo hole slowly and heading back to the dock side.

* * *

Maurice held his horse's reigns as he walked slowly away from port and he sighed sadly. How would he be able to face his family after this?. He was broke. He reached into his pocket to retrieve what money he had left. He had two silver coins and a piece of wire and he sighed as he came to rest on a bench where he tied up his horse and that was where he had an idea.

* * *

He fashioned the piece of wire into a loop. Robin could use it as a temporary ring for his beloved Regina until he could raise enough money from the harvest to buy her a new one. He used one silver coin to buy Killian a small bottle of Rum. He headed to the florist but his heart broke when the man told him the soil in the kingdom hadn't been suitable to grow Roses that year.

* * *

Maurice felt useless. In a small way he had kept his promise to his two son's but he just couldn't deliver on Belle's only request for a simple rose. He took the longest route home and tried to ignore the vision that haunted his mind of Belle's disappointed face.

* * *

The Merchant soon became lost in terrible storm that had hit without warning. His horse struggled no matter how much he urged his companion to keep going and Maurice despaired as he thought he might just die in this storm and was doomed never to see his family again but then all of sudden, as if by magic, a gate that he had not noticed opened on his right and he quickly hurried inside along with his horse.

* * *

Maurice was mesmerised. It was impossible. On this side of the gate, there was no storm but in its place stood a beautiful garden with two marvellous marble fountains. Maurice looked up at the castle that stood at the head of the garden and was stunned. Whoever lived here must have been very rich and noble. He took slow and hesitant steps as he walked down the path. Pausing every so often to treasure the sound of two bluebirds singing happily. He reached the castle steps and was surprised to find a woman there waiting for him with a kind smile,

"My master welcomes you. He insists that you wait out the storm here for the night" she explained kindly and Maurice shivered due to his soaked clothes and he smiled gratefully,

"Thank you Miss….?" He inquired but the woman simply smiled,

"You may call me Marian. Please follow me and I will show you your room for the night and provide you with some warm clothes. You may leave your steed here and someone will come and collect him and then bring him to our stables where he will be groomed, watered and well fed" she assured and Maurice smiled as he followed her inside,

"Please…. May I meet your master so that I may thank him in person?" he asked and Marian's face was secretly painted with a terrified expression but she hid it before looking back at him and smiled gently,

"I….. I'm afraid my master is very busy so he is unable to leave his office for the rest of the day but…. He hopes you will be comfortable" she said gently and Maurice nodded with an understanding smile as he enjoyed the many paintings that hung within the entrance hall as he followed her.

* * *

Marian showed him to one of the guest rooms,

"I hope it is to your liking" she said kindly and Maurice smiled brightly at the room. It contained a wardrobe with a king sized bed, oh which were laid out fresh clothes for him to wear and a table with a bowl of steaming delicious stew,

"This is wonderful" he said happily before noticing the curious lock on the inside of the door,

"What a peculiar bolt" he said and gestured to the very heavy looking bolt that was fitted to the door and Marian gulped secretly to herself,

"Yes….. I….. My master is very tight when it comes to security. It brings him comfort to know that the castle's valuables and also his guests are safe. So when you go to sleep tonight simply slide the bolt across….. And all shall be fine" she said gently and Maurice nodded, he was slightly confused but he wasn't about to tarnish his host's only request after all his kindness.

* * *

Maurice had the best sleep he had had since Marina his beloved wife had died. He had the most wonderful dreams about his family and all their problems being solved. He had followed Marian's instructions and had slid the bolt closed before he went to sleep. Moments after he awoke Marian knocked upon his door and he slid the bolt open and letting her in,

"Good morning Sir" she said kindly and placed a breakfast tray upon the table,

"Your horse is ready and waiting for you outside so you may leave as soon as you are done. The storm has passed so you should have an easy journey home" she said gently and a bit too eagerly but Maurice didn't notice as his stomach rumbled at the sight of the delicious food on his plate,

"Will your master join me for breakfast? I would so like to thank him for his hospitality" he said and Marian felt nervous but kept calm and simply smiled,

"I'm afraid not sir… My master had to wake and take breakfast early as he still has a lot of work on his hands" she explained and Maurice nodded understanding,

"I see well please thank him for me when I leave" he said and Marian smiled brightly,

"Of course" she assured before leaving him to his breakfast.

* * *

Maurice was well fed and ready for his journey home once he had finished his breakfast. He head downstairs and back through the entrance hall to the castle steps where Marian was waiting for him and as promised his horse was saddled and waiting for him. He smiled at Marian,

"Thank you for your generous hospitality" he said gratefully and Marian smiled and nodded,

"You're more than welcome Sir. I wish you a safe journey home" she said before starting to make her way back inside as Maurice headed down the steps.

It was as if in that moment time became very slow. It was in that moment that Maurice noticed the rose bush standing next to the castle steps. Belle's gift. Surely it wouldn't do any harm to take just one.

He realised at once that the garden was full of them so one simply rose surely couldn't be missed. He had never seen such perfect roses. He reached out slowly and took one in his hand gently. He removed his pocket knife from within his cloak and pressed the blade against the delicate stem.

It was then then that Marian sensed something was terribly wrong and she turned and her face become horrified,

"NO DON'T!" she screamed but she was too late as that single rose was retrieved and suddenly there was a terrible lightning storm overhead and Marian looked at Maurice hopelessly,

"What have you done?" she asked quietly, Maurice suddenly looked very guilty and very scared,

"I'm sorry…. You can have it back" he said desperately and held it out to her but she looked down sadly,

"It's too late" she said quietly and suddenly a new voice joined the conversation,

"Too late indeed dearie" the voice said from behind Maurice who spun around quickly to very a dark figure with golden scaled skin who smirked evilly at him,

"I give you shelter, I give you food, I give you clothes… And this is how you repay me… By stealing one of my son's beloved roses" he said in a rather calm and sinister tone and Maurice backed away slowly,

"I'm so sorry…. I didn't realise they were so important" he pleaded and the dark figure let out a high pitched giggle,

"Well it's too late for apologies now dearie…. Marian…. Go inside" he ordered and Marian looked at Maurice helplessly,

"I'm so sorry" she said before closing her eyes tightly and heading back inside and closing the door behind her. Maurice looked at the beastly man with a terrified expression but the figure simply smirked before retrieving a twisted looking dagger from his belt,

"No one steals from the dark one" he said firmly,

"And no one steals from my son" he finished with an angry growl and Maurice fell backwards when the beast shoved him and he looked up at his terrified when the dagger was placed against his throat,

"Please I beg you! Have mercy on me! I too am a father and your son's rose was a gift for my only daughter! It was all she asked for!" he begged and the dark, golden scaled creature paused but did not remove the blade from his throat,

"I see….. So you say that you are innocent in all of this?" he asked and Maurice nodded slightly with fear,

"Yes" he said quickly and the creature shrugged his shoulders slightly,

"You say that you never meant any harm with your actions?" he asked and Maurice nodded one more and the creature smirked,

"What you're saying is that your daughter is the guilty one. She told you to take one of my son's roses" he said sinisterly and Maurice caught on to the beast's meaning and he shook his head desperately,

"No…. Please No. Not her." He begged but the creature removed the dagger and gripped the merchant's collar, dragging him to his feet before shoving him towards his horse,

"You will return here within three days with your daughter so that she may pay for her crimes towards my son" he said simply before waving his hand causing a golden apple to appear which he instantly fed to Maurice's horse,

"Your horse now knows the way back" he explained but Maurice tried to be brave and glared at the dark creature,

"I will never hand her over to you!" he yelled firmly and the creature smirked before turning back to him and clasped his scally hand around the merchant's throat,

"If you don't return then I will simply track you down and I will slaughter your daughter right in front of you" he warned firmly before smirking,

"And then I'll kill you and the rest of you miserable family" he said before shoving him backwards towards his horse,

"Now leave" he ordered firmly and vanished within a cloud of purple smoke.

Maurice didn't know what to do as he quickly mounted his horse and raced away. He was doomed.

* * *

 **DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNN! I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 4. :D Please review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter. :D**

 **In the next chapter we shall have some rumple and bae interaction and also we shall learn the true reason why there are bolts of the back of the room doors.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	5. Belle's Fate

**Chapter 5: - Belle's Fate**

Maurice was in trauma by the time he reached home. Belle had been watering the flowers in the front yard when he rode up but she was horrified when he fainted right in front of her after he had dismounted,

"Father!" she screamed and instantly went to his side,

"Killian! Robin!" she shouted as she rested her father's head in her lap. It wasn't long before they came to their father's assistance.

* * *

Belle dabbed her father's forehead with a cold compress as he murmured nonsense,

"Shhhhhhhhh….. There, there father. Just rest" she soothed, Killian paced back and forth whilst Robin tapped his thumbs nervously against the tables surface. Suddenly Maurice started awake and grabbed Belle's hand firmly,

"Belle!... Belle Stay away from him…. It's not safe" he started rambling and Belle was startled but she held his hand,

"Father, Father it's ok I'm safe… We're all safe" she soothed as she gestured to Robin and Killian who had rushed to their father's bedside when they heard him awaken but Maurice still looked terrified having never taken his eyes off Belle,

"You…. He wants you… My fault….. My fault…. My bag… Inside my bag" he rambled and Belle looked at Killian but he instantly nodded before going and retrieving his father's bag. He opened it to find a rolled up piece of fabric which he quickly unrolled to find a perfect single red rose and Maurice continued to ramble,

"The Beast….. That creature… wants you….. My fault… I stole it….. Cargo destroyed….. My fault" he rambled and Belle made him lie back gently,

"Father please!... Stay calm….. I don't understand. What beast?" she asked and Maurice took a few deep breaths before cupping his daughter's cheek,

"My darling Belle… I retrieved the rose you wished for but at a price….. I became lost in a storm….. And as if by magic I found sanctuary within a castle. I was given food and warm clothes but….. I did not realise that the master of the castle was….. A beast" he gulped with fear as he remembered,

"I didn't think I was doing any wrong by taking that rose but the creature…. He was going to kill me. I begged for mercy but he wouldn't listen he simply kept saying that I stole from his son…. I told him why I had taken it and….." Maurice started to cry,

"Oh my darling Belle….. He wants you. He sees you as the guilty one because it was you who wanted the rose" he explained before holding both her hands tightly and looked at her with a firm expression,

"He told me to return with you within three days' time….. The horse knows the way… But that creature shall not have you" he said firmly,

"I shall return myself and die in your place" he told her and Belle was shocked and shook her head but she knew her father was in trauma so she simply made him lie back down gently,

"It's ok papa….. I understand. Please just sleep" she told him soothingly and Maurice nodded weakly before falling into a troubled sleep.

* * *

Killian was once again pacing back and forth with a now angry expression upon his face,

"Who does that bloody coward think he is?!" he roared,

"What kind of man threatens the life of an innocent girl all because of one tiny little rose?" he asked angrily and Robin rubbed a hand through his hair frustrated,

"You heard father Killian. It's not a man we're talking about. It's a beast" he replied.

Belle simply sat in front of the fire in silence gazing at the rose before looking at her brothers with a smile,

"I think this is all nonsense…. You heard father he was caught within a storm and he probably caught a fever… This beast is nothing but a fever induced nightmare" she assured and Robin nodded in agreement,

"Belle's right Killian….. Father simply needs a few days rest" he said and Killian nodded after a moment in agreement and Belle smiled softly before hugging both her brothers,

"So do you too…. You both have a long day tomorrow at the fields… Go and get some rest" she said gently and they both hugged her back and she placed a goodnight kiss to both their cheeks,

"I'll sleep in the chair beside father's bed… Sleep well" she said gently and they both smiled softly before both giving her a goodnight kiss on her cheek,

"Sleep well Belle" they both said before heading upstairs to bed.

* * *

Belle spilled silent tears as she sat at the kitchen table. She had seen the truth and fear in her father's eyes when he had spoken of the beast. The rose rested at her side as she wrote her final goodbye to her father and brothers before removing a diamond ring from her finger and placed it in the envelope along with her letter before taking a burning candle in her hand and allowed the wax to spill onto the envelope and then removed her silver necklace from around her neck and pressed it against the wax and it left an imprinted curved _'B'_ upon the wax's surface.

Belle placed the envelope on the table next to her father's bed,

"I love you Papa" she whispered and pressed a soft kiss to his forehead before retrieving her travel cloak from the hook next to the door and glanced at the door at the top of the stairs and she blew a soft kiss,

"Goodbye Killian…. Goodbye Robin" she whispered before leaving and she closed the door behind her quietly.

* * *

Her companion raced quickly carrying her to the forest bored where she paused and looked back at her home one last time before kicking her steed once more as it carried her towards the dark castle.

* * *

By morning Maurice, Killian and Robin were all sat at the table and Robin had a tear falling down his cheek as he read Belle's letter,

 _"My Dearest Family,_

 _The thought of you all being in danger because of me breaks my heart. I don't want you to worry about me. I go with only love in my heart and I want you all to know what I will miss you every second. Please don't stop with your usual day to day activities because of my absence. My only wish is for you all to be happy._

 _Robin, my darling brother. I wish you every happiness with your beloved Regina. It would be my honour if you used the ring I placed inside the envelope to propose to her. I know it's not the most elegant but I hope it will do until you are able to find something more suitable._

 _Dearest Killian. I could never forget about you. I've always had a stash of rum hidden under the stairs beneath the grate. It should last for a month but knowing you it will only last a week but I do hope you enjoy it._

 _And as for you my beloved father I wish for you to keep this letter close to your heart and know that none of this was your fault. I want you to know that I love you always and I will think of you, Killian and Robin every second._

 _Love always,_

 _Belle."_

Robin held the ring that he found within the envelope and he allowed another tear to fall,

"We never should have left her alone down here. We should have known Belle's kindness would drive her to do this" he said sadly and Killian stood suddenly causing his chair to fall over and he stormed outside,

"Killian where are you going?" Maurice demanded and Killian looked over his shoulder,

"After her" he said firmly and Robin stood quickly,

"Killian that's madness you heard father only the horse knew the way to the castle and Belle took the horse" he reminded him hopelessly and Killian glared at his brother,

"Then it's a good think I put marked horseshoes on him in case of thieves then isn't it?" he said firmly before storming out and Robin slowly smiled brightly,

"Oh Killian you genius!" he yelled before looking at his father,

"Don't worry Father…. We'll bring her back" he said before running out after his brother.

* * *

Meanwhile at the dark castle, the dark one was sat within the parlour at a spinning wheel and was spinning straw into gold with a simple turn of the wheel. Marian knocked on the parlour door,

"Rumplestiltskin Sir?... Do you wish to take tea in here?" she asked politely and Rumplestiltskin nodded in response,

"Yes, Thank you Marian and have Mrs Potts whip up a triple chocolate cake for Bae" he said simply and Marian nodded before leaving. That was when Bae ran in,

"Morning Papa" he said happily and hugged his father's side and Rumplestiltskin smiled brightly,

"Ahhhhhh Good morning Bae" he said happily as he hugged his son back and Bae smiled hopefully,

"You don't have any deals today….. Do you papa?" he asked with a hopeful tone and Rumple smiled as he ruffled his son's hair,

"No dear Bae. I'm all yours today. I give you my word" he vowed and Bae smiled brightly,

"Yay!" he cheered and wrapped his arms round his papa's neck and Rumplestiltskin smiled softly,

"You do know that I love you don't you Bae?" he asked gently and Bae smiled and nodded,

"Yes papa. I love you too" he said before they hugged each other once more.

* * *

Rumplestitlskin sensed someone entering the castle gates and he smirked secretly to himself before pulling back gently and he smiled at Bae,

"I told Marian to inform Mrs Potts to get started on your favourite chocolate cake." He explained,

"Why don't you go and help her and then come find me when it's done?" he suggested and Bae smiled brightly before nodding,

"Ok papa!" he said excitedly before running out of the parlour.

Rumplestiltskin smirked to himself as his son left before vanishing in a cloud of purple smoke. It was time he met the villain who had intended to steal from his son.

* * *

 **Ooooooooooooo Don't you just love cliffhangers :D lol. I love the father son bond between Rumple and Bae. What will happen when Rumple meets Belle for the first time? will Robin and Killian catch up in time to save their little sister?**

 **You'll have to review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter so that you can find out. :D I hope you all enjoyed chapter 5.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	6. A Kingdom Of Darkness

**Chapter 6: - The Kingdom Of Darkness**

Belle had taken a deep breath before pushing the gate open hesitantly before looking back at her faithful companion with a tear falling down her cheek,

"Not you Buttercup" she said softly and it was as if the steed looked at her with a sad expression before nudging her with gentle affection and Belle hugged her gently,

"Please Buttercup…. Don't make this any harder" she whispered before pressing a soft kiss to her white teardrop patch of fur,

"Now…. Go home" she ordered gently and backed away slowly before closing the gate behind her.

* * *

When Belle turned around she gasped in shock as she took in her beautiful surroundings. This place looked as if it had been tended to by an angel never mind a beast she thought to herself. She hoped the beast her father had spoken of would show her mercy and let her meet her end right in the garden where she stood but from how her father had described him she sincerely doubted that the creature was not the merciful type.

* * *

She wandered down the path towards the glorious castle when she shivered. The feeling as if someone had just walked over her grave washed over her. There was someone behind her. She took a deep breath before turning around slowly to look upon her fate and the golden man stood with a sinister smirk,

"Well….. Stupid and brave. You don't usually get a mixture of the two" he pointed out with a slight giggle but Belle didn't respond to his insult,

"I came just as you requested….. Now please just get on with it" she said with a slight firm tone and before she knew it the creature had a firm grasp around her neck and she closed her eyes tightly in fear and the monster giggled,

"Why do you not beg?" he mocked,

"Your father blubbered like an imbecile" he pointed out and that's what made Belle look at the beast with firm expression,

"I'm allowing you your so called justice so be decent enough to not speak poorly about my family" she said bravely which made the beast giggle once again but his grasp on her throat remained,

"So brave" he said with an impressed expression which soon became angry,

"But never the less as you stated yourself this is justice. You did my son wrong and that is something I will not let stand" he said firmly and Belle gulped slightly but tried not to show fear when she felt his grasp tighten around her throat,

"Wait" she pleaded and the creature smirked,

"Oh going to beg now?" he asked mockingly and she shook her head,

"No….. I just….. I wanted to apologise. I never intended to cause you or your son any harm. Please….. Inside my bag" she gestured slightly to her bag that was hooked over her shoulder and the creature was curious as he used his free hand to open the strange girl's bag to find the rose her father had stolen and he was surprised,

"Your father said you wanted this more than anything….. And yet you return it knowing that you're going to die" he said and Belle took a shuddered breath before nodding,

"It wasn't my father's right to take it….. No matter how much I desired it…. I truly am sorry for all the trouble I have caused" she said genuinely before closing her eyes and the Creature's grip was about to loosen before Robin and Killian kicked the gate open,

"Get your hand off her beast!" Killian roared, holding up a sword towards him, Robin matched his brother's actions and Belle looked horrified,

"Robin! Killian! What are you doing here?!" she asked shocked but her brother's never stopped glaring at the beast,

"If you think you can just try and take our sister from us without a fight then you're a foolish beast" Robin said firmly and the dark one chuckled,

"It seems stupidity and bravery is a usual thing in this family" he said as he waved his hand causing Robin to lift into the end who he then threw backwards out the gate which instantly vanished, Belle looked horrified,

"Robin!" she yelled concerned. Killian glared at the beast,

"You'll regret that crocodile" he said firmly but the creature simply giggled before making a sword of his own appear in his hand and soon they were both engaged in a duel. Belle could only look on in horror,

"Please! Stop! Leave my brother alone!" she begged.

* * *

The Battle went on for a few moments and time became slow as she watched her brother become disarmed by the creature before knocking him down. The creature smirked,

"I'd say keep your nose out of other people's business but in this case I will say keep your 'hand' out of other people's business" he joked sinisterly before swinging his sword down, separating Killian's hand from his wrist and Killian screamed in agony, Belle looked horrified,

"Killian!" she screamed, She soon became angry and charged at the beast,

"YOU MONSTER!" she roared before jumping at him and wrapped her arms around his neck causing him to drop his sword and the creature cried in outrage and suddenly an invisible forced picked Belle up causing her to fly backwards and her head landed against the stone steps and her vision became fuzzy,

"Kill…. Killian…." She murmured weakly as her world became dark. She could have sworn she heard someone yell the word 'papa' before she finally fell unconscious.

* * *

 **Another cliffhanger?! Please don't kill me haha :D Please review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter.**

 **I hope you enjoyed it.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	7. This Isn't Home

**Chapter 7: - This Isn't Home**

Rumple made Killian vanish in a cloud of smoke along with his brother. Sending them both back home before Bae could see what he had done but when he turned he found his son kneeling next to the female stranger and was shaking her shoulder,

"Belle!... Belle please wake up" he begged desperately and Rumple looked at his son confused,

"Bae….. You know this woman?" he asked confused and Bae looked at his father with tears in his eyes,

"I'm sorry….. I'm sorry papa I know you told me not to speak to strangers but I swear I didn't speak a word to her she only cleaned and bandaged my leg. She was only trying to help me! She hasn't done anything wrong" he told his papa desperately before retrieving the shawl from inside his shirt,

"See?... She bandaged my leg with this." He said showing him and Rumple looked stunned at his teary son. His son believed he was trying to kill this woman because he had spoken to her. Did his son truly see him as such a monster. His haunting thoughts were interrupted when his son spoke up once more,

"Please papa….. Don't let her die" he begged and Rumple knew exactly what he needed to do.

* * *

He had carried the girl to the east wing and laid her gently on the soft mattress where he allowed Marian to tend to the bump on her head whilst Mrs Potts fetched more blankets,

"Will she live?" he asked with a firm tone. Marian dabbed Belle's head with a strange glowing purple liquid that made her bump vanish quickly and Belle's unconscious state turned to sleep,

"Yes she'll be fine….. But for now she needs rest" she told him gently.

Rumple had an angry expression upon his face. Not anger for Marian or Bae but himself,

"I nearly killed her… She was innocent and I nearly…." He began but Marian placed her hand on his shoulder gently,

"Don't be so hard on yourself Master… The best you can do now is let the girl rest and then you can let her go home" she said gently but Rumple shook his head,

"No… She may be innocent but her father is not" he said firmly,

"The girl stays here" he finished before turning to leave and Marian looked at him stunned,

"So first she's an intended victim and now she's a prisoner?" she demanded and Rumple looked at her angrily as he gestured around the pleasantly decorated room,

"Does this look like a prison?!" he demanded and Marian went silent,

"… From this day forward….. She's a guest in my castle" he said before leaving.

* * *

Belle's sleep was haunted with nightmares and was startled awake,

"NO!" she yelled and was stunned to find the little boy she helped weeks ago sitting at the end of her bed,

"Wh…. What?..." she began confused but the next thing she knew the little boy was hugging her and he smiled up at her,

"I'm so glad you're ok Belle" the little boy said and Belle's mind was fuzzy for a moment before she remembered,

"…. Bae…. Oh my god Bae what are you doing here?" she asked horrified but hugged him back before looking at him once more,

"I have to get you out of here before that beast comes back" she said as she pushed the covers away and went to the door and opened it only to come face to face with the creature who looked as if she was just about to knock,

"YOU?!" she yelled in terror before slamming the door in his face and acted quickly when she saw the bolt on the door and slid it shut,

"Quick Bae we'll climb out the window" she said quickly and Bae looked confused. The creature was trying to break the door down,

"Bae?!... Bae can you hear me son?!" the creature yelled and Belle looked back at Bae stunned,

"SON?!" she asked stunned and Bae giggled before dragging a little stool over to the door on which he climbed so that he could reach the bolt and slid it open, allowing the creature in,

"Belle….. This is my Papa" he introduced with a smile and Rumple gave her a single awkward nod with his head,

"Are you….. Feeling better?" he asked and Belle couldn't help but glare at him,

"No thanks to you!... You could have killed me!" she yelled but then she remembered and tears grew in her eyes,

"Oh my god….. Killian…. Robin" she said and put both hands to her mouth before falling to her knees weekly as she cried helplessly. Bae looked at his papa confused but Rumple simply ruffed his son's hair gently,

"It's ok she's just tired" he assured him but gesturing for him to head downstairs.

Rumple took a hesitant step towards the weeping woman,

"I….. I'm sorry for what happened" he tried and Belle looked at him slowly with an angry expression despite the tears in her eyes,

"Sorry?... You're Sorry?!" she yelled before standing and she stormed over to him and shoved him weakly,

"You threaten my father! You try to kill me! And then you kill my brothers and all you can say is you're sorry!" she yelled and Rumple held up his hands in defence,

"You have my word that your brothers are safe and well. I simply sent them home" he explained but Belle's angry expression remained,

"You have the nerve to tell me that my brothers are safe and well?! You chopped off Killian's hand right in front of me you Monster! Get out!" she screamed before shoving him out the room and slammed the door behind him and slid the bolt shut before backing away.

In all honesty she was terrified. He was helpless. She was alone and worst of all… She had no idea what to do.

* * *

 **Oh Dear. What is Belle going to do? Can Rumple prove that he no longer intends to harm her?**

 **Please review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter. Review mean quicker updates and also longer chapters ;).**

 **I hope you enjoyed chapter 7.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	8. Climbing The Walls Literally

**Chapter 8: - Climbing The Walls….. Literally**

The next morning Marian was serving Rumple his tea in the parlour,

"Has the stubborn girl made an appearance yet?" he asked as he picked up his cup, taking a sip. Marian put her hands on her waste,

"Maybe if you stopped acting like such a beast and went and apologised and I mean a proper apology" she reasoned and Rumple rolled his eyes,

"You heard….. Sorry let me rephrase…. The whole castle heard her reaction towards me. The last person she wants to listen to is the monstrous dark one" he pointed out before waving his hand causing a plate of tea cakes to appear beside him.

* * *

The was a big bump that came from outside and Marian winced slightly as Rumple raised his eyes to the heavens unimpressed before looking at Marian once more,

"She's climbing out the window isn't she?" he asked knowingly and Marian looked at him sympathetically before nodding which caused him to role his eyes,

"I'll deal with this. Go and wake Bae for his breakfast" he said simply before rising from his chair and opened the door to the parlour balcony and looked amused at the homemade bed sheet rope and couldn't help but giggle as he saw the girl struggling to climb down in her ridiculous attempt to escape,

"Having trouble Dearie?" he asked amused as he leant against the balcony and folded his arms and Belle looked at him started and looked back up and then down and nearly fell but she managed to keep a tight grip which made Rumple chuckle,

"Can't get down and can't go up…. Oh dear dearie. You've got yourself into quite a pickle haven't you?" he asked with mock amusement and Belle glared at him,

"Oh why don't you just….. Cut the rope or something?" she said frustrated as she tried to keep a firm hold on the rope and Rumple simply smiled, shaking his head in amusement,

"If I wanted to kill you then I would have done it last night. I'm not a monster" he pointed out which made Belle let out a humourless laugh,

"Oh yeah?... Not a monster and yet you have big sturdy locks on the back of each door. Oh yeah you're not a monster" she said sarcastically but Rumple simply shrugged his shoulders,

"That's the jackal and Hyde effect. I'm a creature known as the dark one. I have two personalities. The one you met first yesterday was the dark one and the person you're speaking to now is…. Oh I'm sorry where are my manners? I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Rumplestiltskin" he introduced and Belle couldn't help but role her eyes but then she slid down the rope accidentally making her level with the balcony and Rumple smiled,

"And you are?" he enquired and Belle looked at him unbelievably,

"As if you care!" she said frustrated and Rumple chuckled,

"Well I can hardly thank you for helping my son in the village if I don't know your name now can I dearie?" he pointed out and Belle looked at him with a glare as she held onto the rope,

"My name is Belle if you must know" she said with an irritated tone and Rumple nodded,

"Ahhhhh Yes….. Now I remember. That's what my son called you" he said remembering,

"Would you care for breakfast?" he asked politely and Belle looked at him with an unbelievable expression once more,

"Yes I would actually and I intend on having it when I return home!" she said firmly with a glare and Rumple bit his lip,

"That might be a bit difficult" he pointed out and Belle looked at him sharply,

"If you mock my escape attempt I swear…." she began with a slight growl and Rumple shook his head quickly,

"No, No. You misunderstand me. I simply mean that I've closed the border around the castle so I'm afraid you won't get very far" he explained and Belle looked at him with a hopeless expression,

"So now I'm a prisoner?" she said unbelievably and Rumple chuckled and shook his head,

"Prisoner? No being a prisoner would imply that you did something wrong…. It's your father who I'm punishing" he said simply and Belle's eyes widened and went to slap him and fell forward but Rumple was quick,

"Careful dearie!" he said as he caught her and brought her safely onto the balcony,

"Are you ok?" he asked but Belle shoved him away,

"Get off me. I demand right now that you let me go home!" she said firmly with an angry expression and Rumple rolled his eyes before looking at her and took a deep breath,

"Listen….. Your father did my son wrong" he began,

"Without out actually meaning to!" she shouted and Rumple rolled his eyes once more,

"That may be but the dark one side of me doesn't see it that way" he explained,

"The dark one needs justice so I ask that you stay here for….. Three months. Allow the dark one to teach your father a lesson for his crimes and then I'll release you….. It's either this or the dark one will take control of my body and hunt your father down and kill him" he told her and Belle was stunned and thought for a moment and then glanced at him,

"Three Months?... That's all?" she asked and Rumple nodded in confirmation and Belle sighed,

"I have your word that my father nor any of my family will be harmed?" she demanded and he nodded once more,

"You have my word" he promised and Belle finally nodded,

"Then you have mine….. I will stay here for the next three months" she said quietly before walking passed him, heading back to her room.

* * *

 **I'll be honest :D I had so much fun writing this chapter. :D Please Review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter. :D I hope you enjoyed it. More about Rumple's curse will be explained throughout the story so don't worry I've written his curse a bit like a mystery so you'll learn a bit more each chapter :D**

 **I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 8.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	9. Life In The Castle

**Chapter 9: - Life In The Castle**

Belle sighed sadly as she looked out the window from her prison cell someone else liked to call bedroom. She had locked the door again. No matter what that man….. Creature… Beast said, she would never trust him and from this day forward she didn't want anything to do with him.

* * *

Belle silently prayed that her family was safe and well. How would she survive 3 whole months with no knowledge of their health? She felt hopeless.

* * *

The physician had been unable to save Killian's hand. The blade the beast had conjured was one of dark magic and therefore made it impossible to reattach his hand which had mocking returned home with him when the crocodile had vanished him and Robin back home.

* * *

Regina held Robin's hand comfortingly as they sat in front of the fire,

"How are you all doing?" she asked gently and Robin sighed sadly,

"My father can't sleep, Killian never leaves his room and…. As for me….. Well if it weren't for me then maybe my sister would still be alive" he said sadly and Regina's eyes widened before cupping his cheek softly,

"Robin, listen to me. None of this is your fault" she told him firmly,

"You and Killian faced that creature with bravery and strength… It's just that….." she began hopelessly and Robin sighed before lifting her hand and pressed a kiss to its surface,

"It's just that he was stronger" he finished for her gently and Regina nodded before resting her head on her beloved's shoulder.

* * *

Emma watched the turtle doves together and couldn't help but be concerned for Killian. She silently left Robin and Regina as she slipped upstairs and knocked on Killian's door but when she received no response, she hesitated before opening the door slowly.

* * *

She found him downing a big swig of rum and she looked at him unimpressed,

"Well you look like hell" she said firmly before picking up the three empty Rum bottles she prayed he hadn't gone through in only the morning before placing them in the bin. Killian smirked at her drunkenly,

"And you look like an angel" he pointed out before taking another swig and Emma rolled her eyes,

"Belle wouldn't want you to mourn her this way Killian" she said gently but he acted as if he didn't hear her as he gazed at the bottle in his hand sadly,

"The last gift she gave me" he said and gestured to the crate at his bedside before allowing the last of the bottle's contents to spill onto the floorboards,

"She was there" he said sadly gazing off into nowhere as tears grew in his eyes,

"She….. She was so still… So… So lifeless" he said before allowing the tears to fall and Emma looked at him sympathetically before coming to sit next to him and it took a few hesitant attempts before she finally reached out her hand and brushed his tears away,

"There was nothing you could have done Killian" she told him gently as he looked her with blood shot eyes from all the crying she assumed he had gone through the night before also,

"You need to be strong for Belle. She'd want you to be strong and carry on" she told him and Killian simply leaned his head back against his pillow,

"I can hardly carry on now that I'm an invalid swan" he pointed out, gesturing to his hand and Emma looked at him sadly before standing and went to leave but looked at him once more,

"If you don't like something….. Then change it" she said firmly before leaving and Killian thought for a moment before looking at his bandaged wrist before having an idea.

* * *

Meanwhile back at the castle. Marian knocked on Belle's door and Belle was hesitant,

"Who…. Who is it?" she asked nervously and Marian called out gently,

"My name is Marian. I'm a servant of the castle" she explained gently,

"I just came to tell you that the master and his son will be taking their dinner in 10 minutes and they would be happy if you joined them" she said gently and Belle shook her head as she stood on the opposite side of the door,

"No…. I'm….. I'm not hungry" she said and Marian sighed,

"Bae will be disappointed" she tried and Belle sighed sadly,

"I just… I just can't" she said hopelessly and Marian nodded in understanding,

"Very well….. I shall inform the master" she said gently before leaving.

* * *

Bae giggled as Mrs Potts served him his favourite soup,

"Thank you Mrs Potts" he said politely and she smiled brightly,

"You're welcome Bae" she said gently. Marian served Rumple his soup and he looked at her,

"When is the girl coming down?" he asked and Marian stumbled to find her words,

"I…. Well….. The girl…. She…." She began before looking at Bae and then back at his father,

"She….. She politely declined as she said she is not hungry" she informed him and Bae looked at her quickly as Rumple closed his eyes tightly and clenched his teeth,

"My son wanted her here" he said almost with a growl and Marian looked worried as she sensed the dark one's anger,

"Sir please….. The girl has lost her family all in one day. She needs time to take things into account" she tried to reason but it was too late. The dark one was angry,

"I don't care if she needs time! My son wants her here! He asked for her to be here! And be here she shall!" he shouted angrily and stormed out the room and Bae quickly followed,

"Papa please it's not that big a deal" he begged but the dark one wouldn't listen as he reached the door to the east wing before repeatedly slamming his fist against its surface in a beastly knocking manner,

"Me requesting that you come down was me being subtle for the sake of my son but know I'm ordering you to come down!" he yelled and Marian stood behind his son and placed her hands on the young boy's shoulders,

"Master Please" she tried but the dark one wasn't listening as Belle yelled back to him,

"I told you I'm not hungry!" she yelled back with the same level of respect he was showing her and the dark one growled angrily,

"I DON'T CARE IF YOUR NOT HUNGRY I WILL SHOVE THE FOOD RIGHT DOWN YOUR THROAT IF I HAVE TOO!" He yelled and heard the irritating girl answer with a humourless laugh,

"Oh I'd love to see you try when my room is locked from this side of the door!" she yelled back and the dark one became frustrated,

"I… If you don't come out right now then I swear I will go and hunt your father down right now and slaughter him!" he yelled warningly and that's what made Belle open the door to him and she glared at him,

"Why don't you just take your anger out on me and just kill me right now?!" she demanded and he glared right back at her,

"Don't think I won't dearie!" he warned but then he was stunned when his son ran up to the girl and hugged her side tightly,

"Papa please!. You promised me you wouldn't hurt her!" he yelled and the dark one looked at his son before looking back at the girl and he growled before storming off to the west wing and slammed the door behind him.

* * *

Belle simply hugged Bae back and brushed her hand through his hair soothingly.

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 9. Please review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	10. Soothing The Savage Beast

**Chapter 10: - Soothing The Savage Beast**

Marian informed Belle of the castle rules when it came to night hours. She was to make sure the bolt on her door was closed in case the dark one took hold again,

"Does that happen often?" Belle asked and Marian looked at Bae sadly who was still hugging Belle's side before looking back at her,

"Almost every night" she told her sadly and Belle looked down at Bae when he tugged on her skirt gently for attention,

"Can I stay with you tonight Belle?" he asked with a sad expression and Belle looked at Marian who nodded gently,

"If it's ok with you then I'll bring in a camp bed with a few extra blankets and pillows" she said and Belle smiled gently,

"Ok Bae you can stay with me" she said gently and Bae smiled as he hugged her tightly again,

"Thank you Belle" he said happily and she smiled as she hugged him back gently.

* * *

Belle took the camp bed whilst she allowed Bae to have her bed. They were both sleeping peacefully when they were both startled awake by a cry of agony. It was Rumple. Bae jumped out of bed and rushed towards the door,

"Papa!" he cried out in worry but Belle caught him just in time,

"Bae we can't go out there. Marian told us not to leave the room under any circumstances" she reminded him but her heart swelled when the little boy looked up at her with tears in her eyes,

"Please Belle! He's my papa!" he begged and she looked between him and door before nodding,

"Ok… I will go and help your father but you have to promise to lock the door behind me ok?" she asked firmly,

"But I wanna save my papa too" he wined and Belle knelt down so she was eye level with him,

"Bae it would really help your papa if you stayed in here safely" she explained and Bae pouted before nodding,

"Ok Belle" he said and Belle opened the door and quickly headed out and closed the door behind her quickly and Bae closed the bolt.

* * *

Belle took a deep breath when she heard the bolt close. There was no going back now,

"I'll be back as soon as I can Bae" she assured before starting to head towards the source of the screaming.

* * *

She took hesitant steps and felt her heart beating wildly within her chest as she reached the very tall doors to the room from which the blood curdling noise was coming from. She gulped as she looked upon the beastly shaped door handle before reaching out hesitantly and pushed the door open, She rushed inside and her heart nearly stopped when the screaming suddenly came to a stop. All that could be heard was her shuddered breath,

"….. R…. Rumplestiltskin?" she called out nervously as she took two hesitant steps into the room but she was startled when she heard the door slam behind her and she turned quickly before trying to open it only to find that It was locked and she turned around quickly,

"Rumplestiltskin this isn't funny!" she shouted and was answered with her echo. The echo soon faded but then a mocking singing voice came from all corners of the room,

"Rumplestiltskin isn't here. Rumplestiltskin gone my dear" the voice said and Belle gulped one again,

"…. I demand you show yourself!" she yelled and was answered with a high pitched echoing giggle,

"Feed on the madness and it feeds on you. What they told you wasn't true" he voice sang mockingly again and Belle looked around hopelessly trying to find the owner of the voice,

"I…. I don't understand….. Whose they?... What's not true?" she demanded but then suddenly she screamed when the dark one appeared from nowhere and grabbed her wrist and he giggled sinisterly as he skin began to burn,

"Tried to save him she did try. But she failed and she will die" he sang once more and Belle screamed in pain as she tried to pull her wrist free,

"Please….. Please stop it hurts" she begged but the beast simply giggled and Belle looked into his eyes with pained determination,

"Rumplestiltskin…..Please… I know you're in there. This…. This isn't you. You….. You can fight him" she said painfully as she winced. She felt hopeless but then she remembered something Bae had told her before she tucked him in. He had asked her to sing hush little baby like his papa once did. She looked at him once more,

 _"Hush…. Little baby don't….. Say a word. Papa's gonna buy you a mocking bird"_ she sang painfully,

 _"And if….. That mocking bird don't…. Sing. Papa's gonna by you a diamond rind…. And if that diamond ring turns brass….. Papa's gonna buy you a looking glass"_ she sang and the dark one's grasp began to loosen and the burning began to stop and he closed his eyes tightly,

 _"Hush little baby….. Don't you see. It's always gonna be just you and me"_ she finished and the dark one released her hand completely and she fell weakly before holding her burned and blistered wrist.

Rumple shook his head quickly, bringing himself fully back into reality and his eyes widened when he saw Belle kneeling on the ground, holding her injured wrist,

"Belle?!" he was instantly as her side and examined her burnt wrist,

"Oh Belle what has he done to you?... Why did you leave your room?" he asked and Belle winced at his gentle touch to the burn,

"I….. Me and Bae….. We heard you scream… Bae begged for us to help you but I made him stay in my room" she explained through winces and Rumple placed his hand gently over her injured wrist and his hand glowed and she winces,

"It's ok… It's magic. It will repair the damage" he explained before removing his hand and the wound was completely gone and he looked at her sadly,

"I'm sorry….. I'm afraid that scream you heard was just an illusion the dark one conjured. He probably knew your kindness would answer its call" he explained gently and Belle looked at him with sympathy before gesturing to her wrist,

"Thank you….. For healing my wrist" she said gently and after a moment he smiled gently before helping her to stand,

"Thank 'you' for proving to me that I can indeed fight him" he said and Belle smiled gently to herself.

* * *

 **I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	11. Conversing With A Man Or A Beast

**Chapter 11: Conversing With A Man…. Or A Beast**

Belle looked around the room she stood in with Rumple and took in all the damage and Rumple rubbed the back of his head awkwardly,

"I'm….. I'm sorry about the mess… Most nights when I'm tired and become weaker it's easy for the dark one to take control and…. Well as you've already seen….. He had quite the temper" he explained with a tone laced with sadness and Belle looked at him sadly,

"That's awful…. Not his temper I mean….. The fact that you're so tortured by him" she said sadly but he couldn't bring himself to look her in the eye,

"You look exhausted" she said gently and Rumple nodded,

"When he takes control he never allows me to sleep… I take naps throughout the day to try and keep him under control but… Nothing works" he told her sadly and she placed a sympathetic hand on his shoulder hesitantly and he finally looked at her,

"How long have you been this way?" she asked gently and Rumple's face grew sad,

"Fourteen years….. At first I saw it as a blessing because I could provide for my son using my magic but… Then he started taking control and I realised I was cursed" he said sadly and Belle shared his expression,

"And you never sleep because of it…" she said sadly before thinking to herself for a moment and then she held out her hand to him,

"Come with me" she said gently and he looked at her for a moment confused before slowly taking her hand.

* * *

She lead him back to the east wing and she looked at him gently,

"Your son was terrified for you… He needs his papa right now" she told him and Rumple shook his head before trying to pull away but Belle held his hand,

"You're not telling people to lock themselves away from you Rumplestiltskin… You're locking yourself away from others" she said gently,

"You don't have to fight this creature alone" she told him gently and realised he was no longer pulling away so she knocked on the east wing door,

"Bae?... I have someone hear to see you" she called out gently and they both heard the door's bolt slide open and the door opened slowly revealing Bae who smiled brightly at the sight of his father,

"Papa! You're ok" he said happily before running to him and hugging him tightly and Rumple hugged him back which made Belle smile at them both gently,

"Stay with him tonight… He needs his papa. I'll sleep on the couch I saw in the parlour" she said gently before going to head downstairs but Rumple called after her quickly,

"There's no bolt on the door to the parlour" he said worriedly but Belle smiled gently at him over her shoulder before gesturing to his son who was still hugging his side,

"I have a feeling it won't be needed" she said softly before heading downstairs.

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed chapter 11. Sorry it was small but it will be worth it in the next chapter I promise. But you'll have to review in order to unlock it :D**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	12. Facing Your Demons

**Chapter 12: Facing Your Demons**

Rumple woke beside his before the sun had even risen and was simply glowing line of golden fire tracing the mountain tops and he realised that he had the best sleep of his life that he had had in years. He looked down at his son who was still sleeping and he pulled away gently being careful not to wake him.

* * *

He returned to the west wing and hesitantly removed a large carpet cover that covered a mirror and he gulped slight feeling nervous,

"Show me the girl" he said and the mirror glowed and swirled before revealing the image of Belle sleeping peacefully on the couch with a gentle smile on her face probably due to her dreaming and Rumple found himself smiling but it soon turned into a frown when he heard the haunting voice within his mind,

"Such a pretty thing isn't she?" the dark one asked and Belle's sleeping image faded revealing Rumple's own reflection except it had a will of its own. The dark one's will. His reflection smirked at him whilst he glared at it,

"Stay away from her" he said firmly,

"She's done nothing to you" he finished and his reflection giggled,

"But it would seem she has done something to you. She's made you stronger in the short time you have known her and for me….. That's a problem" he said with an evil smirk and Rumple continued to glare at the evil creature,

"NO!... I'm in control! This is my body! And I won't let you hurt her again!" he shouted firmly and the reflection chuckled,

"You have feelings for a girl you hardly know… How pathetic" he said mockingly but Rumple wouldn't give him the satisfaction as he grew angry and slammed his bare fist against the mirrors surface causing it to shatter and he winced at the cut that formed on the side of his hand and the mocking voice sang within his mind once more,

"Rumplestiltskin can't kill me. I'll kill the girl before she can flee" the voice sang sinisterly and Rumple closed his eyes hopelessly. Would he ever be free from that creature's torment?

* * *

Before Belle and Bae awoke Rumple had Mrs Potts tend to his hand, she looked at him concerned,

"I don't understand why you don't just heal it with magic" she said gently as she cleaned the wound and Rumple looked at her sadly,

"Because that's what he wants me to do… I won't show weakness to him. I have a feeling if I do… Then he'll kill Belle" he told her with his tone laced with concern and Mrs Potts bandaged his hand gently before looking at him gently and couldn't help but give him a small smile,

"You….. Care for her?" she asked and Rumple couldn't help but smile amused at her,

"I'm grateful to her" he corrected with a chuckle,

"She looks out for Bae and… Well she's not scared around me" he admitted and Mrs Potts frowned,

"Myself and Marian aren't scared of you" she said and Rumple looked at her guiltily,

"Yes but you still act as if you both walk on broken glass when around me" he told her gently and Mrs Potts nodded in understanding before becoming curious,

"Does she know how you became this way?" she asked before standing and started making breakfast and Rumple shook his head,

"No and I don't intend on telling her" he said and Mrs Potts huffed, turning her nose upwards as if the subject brought a bad smell into the room,

"Well I think after all that girl has done for you and Bae in the short time she's been here, I think she deserves to know about that monster you once called a wife" she said stubbornly and Rumple massaged his temples,

"Please. Not this again Mrs Potts" he begged but she wouldn't drop the subject,

"That girl deserves to know who made you this way Rumple" she told him firmly and he sighed sadly,

"Milah had her reasons" he defended weakly but Mrs Potts' eyes widened,

"They weren't reasons Rumple! She cursed you with this evil entity because she couldn't have her own way!" she argued but before Rumple could reply he heard a giggling Bae running down the stairs and he looked at his faithful house keeper once more,

"We'll talk about this later" he promised her gently before going to wish his son a good morning.

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed Chapter 12. Please review and let me know what you think.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	13. An Appropriate Invitation

**Chapter 13: An Appropriate Invitation**

Bae giggled as he watched Mrs Potts place his favourite breakfast in front of him. They were taking Breakfast in the dining area because Belle was still sleeping. Bae went to rise from his seat,

"I'll go and wake Belle" he announced but Mrs Potts smiled before stopping him in his tracks,

"No Bae….. I think your father should wake her and invite her to join us" she said gently before giving Rumple an amused smile when he looked at her horrified,

"I…. I don't think that's a good idea…. I…." he tried but Bae giggled,

"Please Papa" he begged with a big smile and Rumple gulped secretly to himself as he hesitated before standing,

"Al…. Alright" he said before leaving the dining area.

* * *

He slowly made his way through the entrance hall towards the parlour and he was nervous as he planned what he was going to stay,

"Belle I….. My son and I would be very happy…." He shook his head,

"No that's no good… I would very much appreciate it if…." He tried again and sighed,

"She'll think me a fool" he said to himself hopelessly before taking a deep breath and entered the parlour where he found Belle still sleeping peacefully on the couch and he smiled softly as he took in her tranquil appearance before walking over quietly and he hesitantly placed his hand on her shoulder before nudging her gently,

"Belle?... Belle?" he whispered quietly and she began to stir and Rumple almost became mesmerised by her beautiful blue eyes but he shook his head quickly when she spoke,

"Oh… Good morning Mr Stiltskin" she said politely with a gentle tone as she sat up and Rumple smiled gently,

"You can call me Rumplestiltskin. Or if you prefer you can call me Rumple" he corrected quickly with slight nervousness and Belle couldn't help but giggle but she smiled,

"Then….. Good morning Rumple" she said gently which made him feel more at ease and he smiled back,

"Good morning to you too Belle" he said gently but then he became slightly nervous once more,

"I errrrm….. I….. Mrs Potts….. My housekeeper has made us all breakfast and….. Well I was hoping that…. You don't have to but… Would you like to join us?" he asked and Belle smiled softly,

"I wouldn't like to" she said and Rumple frowned but then she smiled brightly,

"I'd love too" she corrected with a giggle and Rumple smiled brightly with relief,

"Good….. Ermmm the…. The dining area is this way" he said gesturing with his hand awkwardly and Belle smiled as she followed him.

* * *

After breakfast Bae asked Belle to come on his and his papa's daily walk in the gardens and she happily agreed when Rumple said it was ok with him.

* * *

Bae was skipping stones on the lake within the garden as Belle sat next to Rumple on a bench not far away as they watched him. They were both silent for a moment,

"It was my wife who cursed me" Rumple said suddenly and Belle looked at him surprised,

"I'm sorry?" she asked confused and Rumple sighed sadly,

"My wife… Bae's mother. She's the reason why I'm cursed" he admitted and Belle looked at him sadly as he continued,

"Milah was the most beautiful woman I had ever seen back then….. It didn't take long for her to win my affections. Everything was perfect between us" he told her,

"At least….. That's what I thought" he finished sadly,

"Milah wanted the finer things in life and she was willing to go to any lengths in order to get what she wanted…. And what she wanted… Was to be Queen" he told her and Belle nodded as she listened to his tale,

"Milah announced to me that she was pregnant with my child… She said that if I truly loved our unborn child then… Then I would….." he struggled and Belle placed her hand over his gently and he took a deep breath before continuing,

"She wanted me to assassinate the king of our land" he confessed and Belle gasped in shock as Rumple closed his eyes tightly,

"She told me she would take care of everything else. She said she was going to do something so the records made her next in line to the throne" he told her and Belle held his hand in hers gently,

"What did you do Rumple?" she asked quietly and after a while he finally looked at her,

"I refused….. I told her that I would never do something so evil… And she became angry….. She revealed herself for what she truly was… not just evil and selfish but she was also a witch" he told her,

"And for refusing her… She cursed me so that I could never again have full control over my own body. She turned me into a monster" he said sadly,

"The only people I had left was my guardian Mrs Potts and my adoptive sister Marian…Mrs Potts took me in when I was a child and they've been my family ever since" he said with a gentle smile which Belle returned,

"They brought me here where I could be safe and people could be safe from the creature that Milah turned me into…. It was a ruin back then but I used my cursed powers to make it a suitable home for all of us but even with their support I felt so alone" he said sadly,

"But then one dark and stormy winters night there was a knock on the castle door and I was hesitant but I opened it and I found a tiny baby lying in a basket on my doorstep…..Wrapped in a blanket" he said with a soft smile as he remembered,

"I found my reason to carry on that day…. I found my son and I knew that I had very important responsibilities on my shoulders" he said before smiling at her,

"I was a father" he told her gently

* * *

 **So the truth of Rumple's curse is revealed. Please review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter :D**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	14. Knowledge Known Only To One

**Chapter 14: Knowledge Only Known To One**

Belle walked beside Rumple as they walked back to the castle and Belle looked at him concerned,

"Rumple…..?... When the dark one….. Attacked me in the west wing he said 'you feed on the madness and it feeds on you. What they told you wasn't true'" she explained and he nodded as he listened but her expression remained confused,

"What was he talking about?" she asked,

"Who is 'they' and what wasn't true?" she said confused and Rumple looked at her sadly,

"I'm sorry Belle but I have absolutely no idea… I'm sure he was simply trying to mess with your head in order to scare you" he assured and she nodded gently,

"I guess you're right" she said with a sigh and he put his hand on her shoulder gently and smiled,

"You taught me after all the years I've been cursed with him that I shouldn't be scared of him so you definitely shouldn't be" he encouraged and she smiled gently which he returned,

"Just forget about it. I'm sure it was nothing" he said and she nodded before chasing after Bae who had tagged her before running off giggling when she chased after him. Bae smiled at how happy his son was with Belle around but his smile soon vanished when he heard the dark creature sing within his mind,

"Yes a secret I do know. If she finds out then she will go" it sang mockingly and Rumple shook his head quickly and became worried. What could the dark one possibly know that would make Belle want to leave?

* * *

 **Small chapter with a very big cliffhanger :D hehe aren't I evil? *Evil dark one giggle* Review and let me know what you think the dark one's secret about Belle could possibly be in order to unlock the next chapter. If I get enough reviews then I might just reveal it in the next chapter ;)**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	15. The Heartbreaking Truth

**Chapter 15: The Heartbreaking Truth**

Many days passed and the days soon turned into weeks and the dark one's words still haunted both his thoughts, dreams but most of all his nightmares. He had no idea what kind of secret the dark one was keeping but it plagued him like a hurtful disease. He watched as Belle kindly sewed Bae's teddy bear which had become damaged in one of his son's adventures of imagination. He couldn't help but smile sadly at the scene. He feared that whatever the dark one knew about her, he feared that it would in someone harm her and that was something he could not allow. He had no choice. He had to know the truth.

* * *

Rumple crept away secretly to the west wing. Over the many years of being the dark one. Rumple had been able to collect many magical artefacts meant as gifts for his son. But there was one particular artefact that the dark one wanted for himself. A mirror that knew all and could only speak the truth. Rumple gulped as he pulled away the long sheet that covered the elegant mirror that hung on the stone wall of his chambers, He closed his eyes and recalled Belle's sweet voice of how she sand him the lullaby in order to keep the dark one at bay. He kept that treasured memory within his mind as he opened his eyes once more as he looked at his reflection,

"Mirror Mirror… On the way. Speak the secret… Reveal all" he said and the mirror began to shimmer and glow as it started to obey its master's command. A cloaked figure in white formed from the swirling mist within the glass,

 _"A kind girl made as if from dreams but just as suspected she is more than what she seems. Beauty of face and also of heart within your curse she plays an important part"_ the mirror entity spoke mysteriously and Rumple nodded earnestly urging it to continue,

 _"To her, her destiny is unclear for she is the only one the dark one does fear. Lived with a family who is not her own. Raised by a merchant but intended for a throne"_ the mirror said and Rumple's eyes widened and he became stunned,

"Show me… Mirror Mirror, I command thee. Show me the truth. Let me see" he urged desperately and the entity vanished as the mist swirled once more as it began to show Rumple the vision of past events.

* * *

A woman was running as fast as her legs could carry her. She had a look of terror on her face and Rumple saw the glowing blood red outline that sketched the mountain tops and he knew that this was the time when the ogre wars still plagued the land. The mirror spoke as the vision continued,

 _"One faithful servant ran through mountain and glen. To save the child she carried back then"_ it said with an echoed tone and Rumple saw the crying new born she carried within her arms that was wrapped in an elegant blanket,

 _"The baby now alone and her family gone. For her safety she would never know where she came from_ " the voice of the mirror almost sounded sad as Rumple watched the woman who he know knew as the devoted servant stop against the wall within an alleyway for her breath. He watched as the exhausted young lady smiled gently at the baby and cooed to her softly and he listened to the baby's almost musical gurgle and he watched as the servant checked to see if it was safe and he saw her eyes come upon a small cottage with a welcoming glow within the window before she looked at the child once more,

 _"For the Princess a home she did find and left her to the care of someone kind"_ the mirror said and Rumple watched sadly as the servant girl shed a tear before gently placing the baby on the door step where she was sheltered from the rain due to the doorframe,

 _"There was no choice, No next of kin. The girl watched secretly as the Merchant took her in"_ the mirror said and Rumple watched as the servant knocked on the door secretly before running into a shadowy alley and Rumple saw the merchant who had stolen the rose open the door and he picked up the baby gently in his arms. The baby soon fell asleep in his arms as he brought her inside. The Merchants two sons who were just two children back then looked upon the baby before smiling when Rumple saw him tell his sons to say hello to their new sister,

 _"For who the baby is now the merchant named her well. Beautiful inside and out. She was given the name Belle"_ the mirror finished as the vision faded back into his own reflection and Rumple had a look of gentle astonishment upon his face,

"Belle… Is a princess" he said to himself in a quite shocked tone.

* * *

 **I just couldn't wait :D I have waited so long to write this chapter :D I hope you all enjoyed it Please review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter.**

 **Will Rumple tell Belle the truth? and Who was the mysterious servant who left her on the merchants doorstep? All questions shall be answered :D**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	16. A Dance With Destiny

**Chapter 16: A Dance With Destiny**

Rumple was not going to allow himself to become distracted. He had to tell Belle the truth of who she really was. He searched the east wing, the parlour, the dining room before finally finding her in the garden. His heart swelled as he watched her kneel at the fountain within the centre of the labyrinth and captured some water in her cupped hands before moving towards a small rose bud growing within the hedge of the maze and she allowed the droplets to scatter upon the rose's delicate petals and he could help but smile sadly. She was going to be heart broken when he told her the truth….. But he had no choice.

* * *

He stepped out from his hiding place and Belle smiled at him brightly,

"Good morning Rumple" she said happily and he nodded with a slight smile,

"Good morning to you too Belle….. I… May I speak with you?" he asked nervously and Belle looked at him with gentle concern before nodding,

"Of course you can" she said gently as she walked up to him and took his hand and held it in an assuring manner,

"You can speak to me about anything" she assured him gently and he smiled awkwardly as he struggled to keep eye contact with her,

"I… I….. Well…." He began hopelessly as he began to lose his nerve,

"Why did your father name you Belle?" he asked quickly and Belle's eyes widened at his sudden question and she couldn't help but giggle,

"Why do you wish to know?" she asked with gentle amusement and he struggled to find the right words for a moment,

"Call it curiosity?" he tried and Belle smiled, accepting his answer before looking at the ground as she became shy,

"Well…. My father always told me as I grew up that he gave me name meaning beauty because of….. Well….. I simply thought that every parent thinks their child beautiful" she explained with a slight blush of embarrassment and Rumple frowned slightly,

"You don't believe that you're beautiful?" he asked gently and it was now Belle who found it difficult to keep eye contact with him. It seemed like forever to Rumple before she finally shook her head and Rumple was shocked. He would not let this false belief to carry on and he took her hand in his gently,

"Follow me" he said gently before leading her back towards the castle.

* * *

Belle was curious as Rumple lead her through the castle and into the conservatory and her curiosity became confusion when they came to stand in front of a wall that was overgrown with twisting ivy and he smiled at her confusion,

"This castle holds many secrets." He explained,

"Some dark but some beautiful" he said with a smile before looking at the overgrown ivy,

"Beyond this door lies the hall of mirrors. Mirrors that hold the power to show only the truth….. I myself have never stepped foot within its doors. It was my son who discovered both this chamber and its secrets" he said with a smile and Belle looked confused as she looked between Rumple and the ivy,

"But…. I don't see any door" she said confused and Rumple chuckled as he placed his hand against the ivy and pushed gently and as if by magic, Two doors swung open to reveal an enchanting ballroom and Belle became mesmerized as an enchanting melody graced her ears and Rumple smiled at her,

"Perhaps these mirrors will show you exactly how others see you" he said softly and an invisible force made Belle slowly walk into the room. The melody that filled the air was magic itself and she became anxious and looked back at Rumple who smiled encouragingly,

"Don't underestimate how people see you Belle" he said gently and his words put her at ease and she smiled gently before looking round the room once more. Every wall was built from a floor length mirror that made the room seem like it went on forever. Her eyes became heavy as she took in her surroundings,

"I…. I feel like I've been here before… In a…. dream or something" she said quietly and it was then that she actually noticed her reflection in the mirror. She saw her long brunette curls, her deep ocean blue eyes. Her plump pink lips and she became shocked,

"I….. That can't be me… She's…. She's too…." She said in an unbelievable tone and Rumple smiled from his place within the door way,

"These mirrors never lie Belle. The woman in the mirror is you" he assured her gently and Belle smiled as a tear of happiness fell down her cheek. For the first time in her life. She felt beautiful.

* * *

She smiled brightly around the room as happy tears filled her eyes as the melody filled both her mind and heart before she finally looked at Rumple and she held both her hands out to him,

"Dance with me" she said gently and Rumple looked shocked from the doorway,

"What?" he asked stunned and Belle giggled as she walked over to him and took his hands in hers before tugging on them gently,

"Dance with me" she said again and Rumple became very nervous and he shook his head,

"Belle no…. I….. The mirrors…." He tried but she smiled gently before cupping his cheek softly in her hand,

"You underestimate how 'I' see you Rumple" she said gently using his own words against him and he looked at her almost sadly,

"Belle…. I'm a monster" he said sadly trying to remind her before looking down at the ground but Belle used her finger to tilt his chin gently so that they had eye contact,

"You managed to convince me that I'm beautiful… Can you at least let me try and convince you that you're not a monster?" she asked but Rumple couldn't answer as he was too lost in her eyes as she was equally lost in his, she moved his right hand to her waist gently before taking his left hand in her own and she smiled softly and reassuring,

"Just keep your eyes on me" she said gently and he was still mesmerised by her as he pulled her closer,

"I think it would be impossible for me to ever take my eyes off you again" he whispered and Belle was stunned as she blushed as they began moving in perfect sync.

* * *

As they danced neither of them noticed how within the reflection of the mirrors, Belle was no longer wearing a simply blue evening gown but an elegant golden ball gown with a diamond tiara sat upon her head and as for Rumple. His skin was now normal instead of being made up of golden scales. His dark waist coat, pants and blood red shirt had become a blue velvet dress coat with smart black pants with black leather boots. Little did they know that this was not the mirror casting the image of their true selves but was actually casting the image of how they both saw eachother.

* * *

 **A Dance scene just had to be done. :D please review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	17. The Gaps Of Mystery

**Chapter 17: The Gaps Of Mystery**

After his shared moment with Belle. Rumple hadn't been able to stop thinking of her. Her smile, her eyes, her laugh. Everything about her filled his mind as well as his heart. It wasn't even near the end of their first month together and as if by magic the wonderful woman had filled his dark life with light. Simply seeing her made a smile appear on his face.

* * *

He almost flew into the kitchen with a bright smile on his face to find Marian starting to get the kitchen materials together in order to make breakfast,

"Change of plan" he announced happily with a bright smile on his face and Marian looked at him stunned,

"For breakfast today….. I'm craving…. Oooooooooo let's say….. Banana Bread" he said cheerfully and Marian looked at him shocked,

"Banana Bread?!... But Rumple you hate Banana Bread. Last time we made it you actually threw it out the window" she reminded him and he shrugged his shoulders innocently,

"Well I like it now?" he tried and that was when Mrs Potts walked in with an amused chuckled,

"Our dear Rumple suddenly wants Banana Bread because I heard the lovely miss Belle telling him yesterday how it was her favourite breakfast treat but she hasn't had it in a while" she explained with an amused look towards Rumple whose ears had turned a gentle pink on the top but he still smiled gently but Marian frowned,

"But we can't possibly make it so soon….. We'd need to use the oven and last time 'someone' wasn't satisfied with the last banana bread we made he proceeded to burn the oven gloves so that we could never make it again" she said with a slight irritated look towards Rumple who smiled an awkward guilty smile but Mrs Potts simply chuckled,

"I haven't worked in a kitchen nearly my whole life without learning a few tricks" she told them both before smiling at Rumple gently before walking over to him and placed both her hands on his cheeks,

"It seems only yesterday when I first took you into my care… Such a small boy and now….. You're so grown up" she said gently before smiling at Marian,

"You both are" she said and held out a hand towards her and Marian smiled before joining the family embrace,

"You are both like a son and daughter to me." She told them softly and they both smiled as they all hugged each other,

"We think of you as a mother also" Rumple whispered gently and Marian smiled as she hugged her motherly and brotherly figure.

* * *

Rumple was getting anxious. Very anxious. Belle was with Bae in the dining room,

"I could have had this done in seconds if you had just let me use magic" he said irritably and Mrs Potts scowled,

"Not in my kitchen young man. The only magic used on my food is my hands so pull yourself together and be patient" she said firmly and he pouted almost childishly, Marian was nervous also, she knew how much this meant to Rumple because it was important to Belle,

"How on earth are we going to get that out the oven without burning ourselves?" she asked and Rumple went to speak but Mrs Potts glared at him quickly,

"Don't even think about suggesting it" she said firmly and he rolled his eyes before pouting again impatiently and Mrs Potts smiled again,

"Don't worry Marian. In situations like this my apron always comes in handy" she said happily before opening the oven door,

"Ok. It should be ready now" she said happily and Rumple turned quickly with a bright smile on his face,

"Finally" he said but time became slow as he watched Mrs Potts began to retrieve the banana bread from the oven using her apron. The apron he had seen many times throughout his childhood but for the first time he was looking at the stitched rose in the corner of the material and he had a moment of de ja vue as he remembered the baby blanket he had scene baby Belle wrapped in within the mirror's vision. The rose was exactly the same. The stitching, the pattern, colours. It was completely identical.

Time's pace became normal once more. Mrs Potts smiled brightly at her latest creation as she removed the bread from the oven and she looked at Rumple for his approval but frowned at the look upon his face,

"You're not throwing this one out the window" she said teasingly with a slight smile but his face didn't change which made her frown become genuine,

"Rumple?... Rumple what's wrong?" she asked concerned and he was silent for a moment before he took slow steps towards her,

"…. You're the servant girl" he said quietly.

* * *

 **DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUNNNNNNNNNNNN :O another cliffhanger?! I really am evil hehe :D Please review in order to unlock the next chapter.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**

 **p.s how cute was Rumple wanting to make Belle some Banana Bread? :) #CutenessOverload**


	18. A Magical Discovery

**Chapter 18: A Magical Discovery**

Mrs Potts looked at Rumple confused,

"I'm afraid I don't understand" she said and Rumple continued to look at her with a slight sad expression,

"Many years ago in the days of the ogre wars you were entrusted with the care of a baby girl. A princess wrapped in a silk blanket with a stitched rose in the right corner" he told her gently and Mrs Potts eyes widened in shock,

"How could you possibly know that?" she asked in a stunned whisper and Rumple expression still didn't change,

"The mirror showed me. I didn't realise until just now when I noticed the exact same rose stitched onto your apron that was on the baby's blanket" he explained gently and Mrs Potts had to sit down at the kitchen table as tears came to her eyes as she remembered. Marian looked at Rumple confused but he nodded at her gently,

"Take Belle and Bae some water. I'll be there as soon as I can" he told her gently and Marian nodded before grapping a jug of drinking water and leaving Rumple and Mrs Potts some time to talk.

* * *

Rumple looked at Mrs Potts with a gentle expression as he knelt down in front of her so that they could be eye level,

"Why didn't you tell me and Marian?" he asked gently and she simply sighed sadly as she dabbed at her tears with her handkerchief,

"Because… That day has haunted me for a very long time." She said sadly as more tears fell,

"That poor baby… Her mother didn't even get the chance to hold her" she said heartbroken as she closed her eyes and remembered.

* * *

 _~ The Time Of The Ogre Wars ~_

The ground shook from the furious battle outside a royal castle between the king's knights and the ogre's. Of all time's the long awaited Princess would choose to arrive and it just had to be during the biggest battle the kingdom had ever seen. The queen cried out in agony as she screamed through yet another push,

"You can do this my queen" encouraged the wet nurse but the queen shook her head sadly,

"It hurts" she said through painful tears and the wet nurse nodded in understanding,

"I know but this baby is coming whether you like it or not. Now you need to push" ordered the wet nurse firmly but the queen shook her head,

"F….. Fetch me Maria Potts. I require her immediate assistance" she ordered and one of the other nurses in the room nodded quickly before leaving to retrieve Miss Maria Potts.

Maria Potts had been tending to a knight's wounds when the nurse came to fetch her. It was a struggle for them both to return to the royal chamber as the castle itself was still shaking due to the battle outside. As soon as they entered the royal chamber they heard the baby's first cries as it entered the world and Maria quickly rushed to the queen's side who appeared very weak,

"The….. The Baby?" the queen said weakly and Maria looked towards the wet nurse who held the baby in her arms who was now wrapped in a blanket and she smiled brightly towards her and nodded so Maria smiled brightly at the queen,

"The baby is well your majesty….. Your daughter is safe" she said gently having noticed the light pink silk blanket that had been intended for a royal baby girl. The queen grasped Maria's hand weakly within her own,

"T…. Take her….. Somewhere safe. I only trust you" she said weakly and Maria could feel the queen's pulse weakening as she held her hand. The queen looked towards the wet nurse who held the baby,

"G…. Give my…. Give my daughter to Maria" she said weakly and the wet nurse nodded before coming to Maria's side before placing the baby girl in her arms gently. The new born princess was now sleeping peacefully,

"M…. My arms are too weak to hold her… L…. Let me see" she begged and Maria allowed tears to fall as she held the baby to the queen's view and she smiled weakly,

"My….. My beautiful baby girl… T… Take her away from this place….. Take her far from the view of this war" she begged and Maria nodded sadly as tears fell down her cheeks as she held the baby,

"I promise you majesty" she whispered and the queen smiled weakly before her eyes finally closed as she fell into a peaceful eternal sleep.

* * *

 _~ Present Day ~_

"The queen and I were like best friends. It did not surprise me much that she entrusted her new born child to me before she died" Mrs Potts told Rumple sadly,

"I tried, I really did try….. I tried to take the baby to her father only to be told that he had not long died in battle moments earlier" she told him sadly as tears fell,

"I'll never forgive myself….. I wasn't brave enough to raise the child I was still practically a child myself" she told him sadly,

"I took the princess as far as my legs could carry me… I left her on a doorstep and I watched as a kind man took her into his care…. I never saw the princess again after that" she said sadly and Rumple placed his hands over hers gently,

"She grew into a beautiful young woman." He assured her and she looked at him confused,

"She is kind, brave and everything that a princess should be and more" he told her gently,

"Not long ago the man you entrusted the baby too came across this place and tried to take a rose…. The dark one threatened his life… But his youngest daughter to whom the rose was intended for came here both brave and willingly" he told her and Mrs Potts looked at him stunned as sparse tears fell down her cheeks,

"Belle" she whispered simply and he nodded gently before taking her handkerchief and wiped away her tears for her softly,

"When I was first cursed you brought me here to this castle but it was in ruins… You knew it was here" he said gently and she nodded in confirmation,

"This castle is the one from your story" he told her and she nodded once more and he hugged her as she began to cry once more,

"It's ok mama… The Princess has come home" he told her softly as he soothingly called her mama for the first time in a very long while.

* * *

 **writing this chapter made me cry. :'( Please review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter :)**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	19. YOKYLHWYLHG

**Chapter 19: You Only Know You Love When You Let Her Go**

Every time Rumple thought about telling Belle who she truly was. It broke his heart as his mind was haunted with the vision of her face of sadness. He watched from the window within the west wing as Belle played tag with Bae in the garden. Rumple felt lost. He didn't know what to do.

* * *

Rumple suddenly winced as he felt the dark one circling his mind. Reading his thoughts and memories,

"Well Dearie isn't this a remarkable coincidence?" he said mockingly and Rumple turned quickly to see the dark one controlling his reflection and the dark one smirked at him,

"I will admit I sensed there was something strange about that girl. This castle was went to be a dark reminder that you would be eternally cursed. Milah made certain of that." He said with a smirk and Rumple looked confused,

"What do you mean?" he asked and the dark one chuckled sinisterly,

"She knew dear old 'Mama Potts' brought you here after your unforgivable betrayal when you refused to obey her" he said with an evil smirk,

"Did you truly think those stupid ogres rose up and rebelled of their own accord? My mistress is a lot older than she appears to be. All those years ago long before she met you. Long before you were even a man. My mistress Milah craved a kingdom of her own so she used her magic to make the ogres her slaves. By the time the war was over this kingdom was in ruin. She planned to take one kingdom at a time so she could rule all lands" the dark one said with a smirk,

"But ever since that girl arrived this castle has slowly been coming back to life. As have you so I tricked you into thinking I knew something that would put her at risk so that you would use this primitive mirror in order to find out for me." He said amused and Rumple shook his head but the dark one continued to smirk,

"Thank you so much for your assistance. Now Milah knows that she is the only living heir left to this kingdom and once she dies nothing will stop my mistress from carrying on with her plan" he said evilly and Rumple's eyes widened,

"NO!... Please… Belle doesn't even know. She won't try to get in the way. I swear" he begged and the dark one smirked,

"Very well… Me and My mistress are willing to spare her… If you make her leave. Make her flee. Make her never wish to return to this place. Make her never want to look upon your face again" the dark one said firmly before smirking,

"But… If you don't then my mistress will allow me to take full control of your miserable body and I will kill the girl with your own two hands. The only thing you will have control of is your eyes as my mistress allows you to see the fear in the girls eyes as she watches the man she thought she could trust kill her" he said evilly and Rumple shook his head,

"No…. I promise…. I'll make her leave….. Just leave her be" Rumple begged and the dark one smirked as Rumple's reflection became his own once more and he looked at the floor sadly.

* * *

Belle came to the west wing as requested by Rumple when a letter slid under her door. She knocked on the door gently before opening it slowly,

"Rumple?" she called gently and he closed his eyes sadly as he faced the window so his back was too her,

"Come in dearie" he said with a false firm tone and she looked confused as she stepped inside,

"Is everything ok?" she asked concerned and he refused to look at her,

"Not really dearie… Over the last few days I've grown bored with your presence here" he said simply and Belle's eyes widened stunned,

"W…. What?" she asked almost hurt and Rumple winced secretly to himself,

"I don't want you here any longer. I want you to leave immediately" he said firmly and Belle looked shocked,

"I….. I don't understand Rumple…. Have I done something wrong?... Something to upset you?" she asked confused and Rumple knew he would have to seal the deal so he turned and looked at her with a false glare,

"You came here because you did wrong dearie. You are just as much as a thief as your father. You are both equally guilty and I won't have my son hanging around a wretch such as you" he said firmly as Rumple's heart secretly broke as he saw Belle's hurt expression,

"Why are you saying this?" she asked sadly but his firm expression didn't change as he glared at her,

"The only reason I allowed you to stay is because I took pity on you. My son saw good in you but I am not easily fooled dearie" he said firmly and changed his false glare into a false smirk,

"Named after Beauty….." he said with a false humourless laugh,

"Not even slightly true" he lied in a whisper and a tear fell down Belle's cheek,

"I… I can't believe I thought you could be good" she said sadly and he simply shrugged his shoulders with a false smirk,

"It just proves how gullible you truly are dearie. I'm a monster. Nothing about me is good" he said firmly with a glare,

"Now get out of my sight and never come back" he said firmly before turning his back on her as if to look out the window but he secretly closed his eyes tightly as a tear fell down his own cheek as he heard Belle flee the room and slam the door behind her. He was haunted with the sound of her footsteps running down the stairs and he soon heard the front doors slam and moments later he saw her running out the front gates.

* * *

Moments later Marian came running into the west wing with a confused expression,

"Rumple I've just seen Belle running out the front doors in tears. She's left" she told him quickly and he looked at her sadly,

"I know... I made her leave... I let her go so that she would be safe" he told her sadly and Marian looked confused,

"But why?... She was safe here" she said with gentle confusion and he sighed sadly before shaking her head,

"She wasn't... She was never truly safe because of this bloody evil entity i'm burdened with" he said with sad anger and frustration and Marian went to his side and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder,

"But you're stronger than him Rumple... You could have protected her" she told him gently and he looked at her sadly,

"Don't you understand?... I'm protecting her by letting her go... I let her go... Because I love her" he admitted in a sad whisper.

* * *

 **Another chapter that I cried whilst writing :'( Rumple finally admitted that he loved her and that's why he let her go. :( please review and let me know what you think in order to unlock the next chapter.**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	20. There's More To Me

**Chapter 20: There's More To Me**

Belle had ran all the way home. She hadn't been able to stop crying. She slowed her pace when she saw Killian working within the fields. He had his back to her as he used a hook he had fitted to his left wrist to replace his missing hand in order to harvest the wheat. She had never been so happy to see that he truly was alive and well,

"Killian!" she shouted and Killian turned quickly and his eyes widened in shock as he saw his little sister standing at the top of the hill,

"Belle" he whispered unbelievably and Belle smiled brightly despite the tears in her eyes as she began to run towards him and Killian moved slowly at first but his pace increased with each step and he was soon running towards her,

"Belle!" he shouted and she smiled brightly as she jumped into his arms when they finally reached each other and they hugged each other tightly,

"Killian!" she said happily as she buried her face in his shoulder as she hugged her big brother. Killian had tears in his eyes,

"You're alive" he said quietly as he held her. He never wanted to let her go again and he pulled away gently and cupped her cheek gently as if to check she was real,

"You're alive" he said again and Belle nodded with a smile despite the tears in her eyes,

"I'm home" she whispered before they hugged each other once more.

* * *

Robin was also overjoyed when Killian brought Belle back to the cottage she had missed so much and her father embraced his daughter tightly and she hugged him back,

"Papa" she whispered happily and they both fell to their knees as they hugged each other,

"Oh my darling Belle… I thought I would never see you again" he whispered unbelievably as he used his thumb to brush away her tears and she smiled before pressing a kiss to his hand gently,

"It's alright papa….. I'm home" she said softly and he looked at her unbelievably,

"How did you escape the beast?" he asked as he and her brothers became curious but she looked down sadly as another tear fell but this time it was for Rumple,

"I don't want to talk about it… Never again" she whispered sadly and her father nodded as he hugged her once more,

"Of course my darling Belle…. You never have to see that beast again" he assured her. Little did he know that she was crying for exactly that reason.

* * *

Rumple despaired with each passing moment since Belle left. She hadn't realised that when she left she had taken his heart with her. He held his son in his arms as he cried after telling him that they would not be seeing Belle again. Mrs Potts hugged Marian as they both watched father and son mourn their loss. Belle may not be dead but the thought of never seeing her again made them both feel as if she were.

* * *

The front doors of the castle suddenly swung open with an invisible force and Milah walked inside with an evil satisfied smirk as she looked at her ex-husband's shocked face as he held their son protectively,

"Hello Darling….." she said mockingly,

"I'm home" she finished with a smirk.

* * *

Belle was given some time to herself as she sat within her room. She remembered random moments from her childhood in that very room that made her smile. She frowned because something felt missing and she didn't know what. She knelt down beside her bed and pulled out an old box from underneath. It held all her childhood treasures. She had left it behind for her father when she thought she would not return from the beast's castle but here she was and here was her box of treasures.

* * *

She lifted the lid gently and placed it at her side. She smiled as she retrieved an old picture she had drawn of her family she giggled to herself as she remembered when Killian pouted about his really short arms and how she had drawn Robin slightly a bit bigger than him when he was the oldest.

She placed the drawing on top of the box lid before retrieving a small circular box. She opened it to find a prickle thorn inside and remembered how Robin had pulled it out of her finger and gave it a magic kiss so that it would get better before wrapping a small bandage around it.

She closed the circular box before placing that next to her old drawing before retrieving an old photograph that show her, Killian, Robin and her father in the meadow sat on a picnic blanket.

* * *

The last item within her treasure box was her baby blanket. She had only put it in there as more of a protective cushion for her treasured items. She had never really thought about her baby blanket before. She reached inside before taking it in her hands gently and brought it out. She brushed her thumb against the stitched rose pattern and her eyes suddenly closed as images flashed through her mind. A queen giving birth to a baby girl. A devoted servant being entrusted with the baby. The servant girl placing the baby on a doorstep. Belle saw her father pick up the baby and smiled as he took her into his care. Belle saw the castle in ruins before a flash and she then saw Rumple's castle. She saw Marian, Mrs Potts, Bae and Finally Rumple before seeing the vision of them both dancing together within the hall of mirrors.

* * *

Belle's eyes shot open as all the pieces fell into place. She knew everything. She was truly a princess who had been taken from her kingdom in order to keep her safe. She knew it was not the ogre's who were at fault but a shadowy figure she saw lurking within the visions she had been shown. The person who was truly responsible. Bae's Mother…. Milah.

* * *

There was a knock on Belle's door and she looked up quickly to see Maurice standing there,

"Belle… How are you feeling sweetheart?" he asked gently and Belle looked at him for a moment. The man had raised her but had still lied to her, her entire life. She should have been angry but she wasn't and she smiled brightly before standing and hugged him tightly,

"I'm wonderful papa. I love you so much" she whispered and he hugged her back and smiled softly,

"I love you too" he said gently and she pulled back gently,

"Can I take Buttercup for a ride? I need to clear my head a little" she said gently and her father reluctantly nodded,

"Very well….. But don't stay out too long" he said and she smiled brightly and kissed his cheek,

"I won't" she said before rushing downstairs and out the front door,

"I have something to sort out" she whispered secretly to herself before saddling up Buttercup and rode off towards Rumple's castle. Yes the horse may no longer know the way but Belle did. It was clear now. There was something missing and it was her heart. Belle had left her heart behind at the castle. Belle's heart was with Rumple.

* * *

 **Ooooooooooooooo :D it's getting good now. Belle now knows who she is and she's on her way back to the castle but Milah's there waiting. What will happen? You'll have to review in order to unlock the next chapter in order to find out :D**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	21. The Beauty Within

**Chapter 21: The Beauty Within**

Milah smirked as she walked further into the great hall,

"Oh yes I'm going to be very happy here" she said as she looked around before smirking at Rumple,

"I must say. My curse really did a number on you… You're not as pathetic as I remember Rumple" she said with a smirk but Rumple simply glared at her as he held Bae protectively in his arms and she laughed,

"Oh well this is delicious you think you can protect Bae from his own mother" she said evilly and she suddenly made a twisted dagger appear within her hand that was inscribed with Rumple's name,

"Release" she ordered firmly and Rumple obeyed instantly and Marian looked at him shocked,

"Rumple what are you doing?! Don't listen to her!" she yelled and Rumple looked stunned but he couldn't move,

"It's not me…. I can't move" he said frustrated and Milah laughed evilly,

"Of course you can't my little puppet" she said with a smirk before waving her free hand that made a tapestry come to life and suddenly wrapped around both Marian and Mrs Potts tying them up. Mrs Potts glared at Milah,

"You better let us go if you know what's good for you Milah!" she yelled but Milah simply rolled her eyes,

"Oh shut your mouth grandma" she said sarcastically and waved her hand once more causing the tapestry to cover her mouth and Mrs Potts' words became muffled and Milah smirked,

"Language Mrs Potts" she mocked before turning towards Bae and smiled evilly before holding her arms out to him,

"Baelfire sweetheart…. I've missed you so much. How about a hug for your mama?" she said with a smirk but Bae looked at her scared and shook his head and Rumple glared at her,

"Stay away from him Milah!" he growled before looking at Bae,

"Bae run!" he said firmly and Bae went to run upstairs but Milah waved her hand causing an invisible force to pick him up in the air when suddenly,

"PUT HIM DOWN!" yelled a voice and Milah turned quickly to find Belle standing there and she glared at her,

"YOU!... You're becoming a real thorn in my side" she said with a tone that could easily be mistaken for a growl. Rumple's eyes widened when he saw her,

"Belle Get out of here!" he yelled with a look of concern and she looked at him before shaking her head,

"No…. I won't leave you" she said and Rumple looked surprised before Milah laughed,

"Oh how pathetic. The lovers reunite…. There's nothing you can do. Rumple always has and always will belong to me" she said with a smirk and Belle glared at her,

"I won't let you torture them any longer. I know who I am. I know that this castle is rightfully mine but I don't care about any of that. All I care about is them" she said firmly and Milah smirked at her,

"So…. The little lost princess thinks she can take me on." She mocked,

"Well then… Let's see how strong you really are" she said with a smirked and suddenly let out a blast of magic towards her and Rumple looked horrified,

"Belle!" he yelled out and Milah smirked before letting the magic fade but her eyes widened when she saw Belle standing there perfectly fine with her arms held out in front of her and she had a shimmering barrier around her and Milah glared angrily,

"Impossible!" she roared and Belle smiled at her hands shocked,

"It seems there truly is more to me then what meets the eye….. Maybe coming back to the place where I was born is what finally brought it out" she said more to herself gently and Rumple smirked proudly but Milah glared angrily,

"I refuse to be beaten by some peasant girl!" she roared before raising the dagger in her hand,

"Dark one I…." she began but Belle held out her hand firmly,

"I don't think so… I COMMAND DAGGER TO MY HAND!" she yelled and the dagger vanished and reappeared in her own hand and Milah looked horrified and Belle smiled brightly before smirking amused at Milah,

"Apparently I'm far more than just some peasant girl" she said and Rumple smiled brightly and Belle waved her hand causing Bae to be lowered gently to the ground and the tapestry released Marian and Mrs Potts and Rumple suddenly had control of his body again and Bae ran up to him and hugged his Papa tightly who immediately hugged his son back.

Belle glared at Milah,

"Now get out of here. You have no power over this family anymore" she said firmly and Milah glared angrily

"This isn't over" she growled before vanishing in a cloud of smoke and Belle sighed in relief before turning towards Rumple and Bae,

"Are you all ok?" she asked concerned as she looked between them and Marian and Mrs Potts and Rumple smiled as he hugged Bae before standing up so he was at full height,

"Yes we're all ok…. Thank to you" he said gently and she smiled brightly before holding the twisted dagger out to him,

"Here….. I don't want anyone ordering you around" she said gently and he smiled before smirking and he used the dagger to pull her closer and she laughed brightly before smiling softly up at him and he smirked,

"I wouldn't mind one last order" he said gently and she smiled confused,

"What order?" she asked with a giggle and he chuckled,

"I dare you to order me to kiss you" he said teasing and she smiled softly as they both brushed their noses against each other,

"Would it truly be an order?" she asked in a whisper and he smiled softly,

"Not really… I've wanted to kiss you for a very long time" he whispered back before leaning in gently and they both pressed their lips against one another's and Belle smiled against his lips as she wrapped her arms around his neck and he wrapped his own around her waist.

* * *

 **Would you believe that this isn't the end? :D Please review in order to unlock the next chapter. :D**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


	22. Happily Ever After

**Chapter 22: Happily Ever After**

When Rumple and Belle finally pulled away from each other Belle's expression became stunned,

"Rumple… Your skin" she said concerned but Rumple smiled as the golden scales on his hands began to vanish,

"It's ok…. My curse… You broke it" he said happily before looking at the dagger in his hand seeing that his name had vanished and he smiled brightly at her before letting the dagger fall to the floor and he picked her up in his arms and spun her around and Belle laughed in delight as she wrapped her arms around his neck and she giggled before letting her down once more and pressing a kiss against her lips once more which she gladly returned,

"You saved me" he whispered and Belle smiled brightly as she rested her forehead against his. Bae smiled brightly and giggled as he watched his papa kiss Belle and Rumple chuckled as he looked at his son,

"And just what are you laughing at?" he asked running up to his son, lifting him into his arms and spinning him around. Bae giggled hysterically and Belle smiled brightly as she watched but then she shuddered which caused her to frown. It felt as if someone had just walked over her grave and suddenly she was engulfed in a cloud of pure darkness. Rumple turned quickly and looked in horror,

"BELLE!" he called out and it was then Milah appeared once more beside the cloud of swirling darkness with an evil smirk upon her face,

"Told you this wasn't over" she said mockingly,

"If I can't have you as my puppet…" she said holding out her hand and the dagger went straight to her hand and she smirked,

"Then I guess she'll have to do" she said evilly and Rumple glared as he passed Bae to Marian,

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" he yelled before running towards the cloud and he immediately through himself into it. All Marian and Mrs Potts could do is watch in horror.

* * *

Rumple waved his arm in front of him trying to clear away the dark mist,

"Belle! Belle! Can you hear me?!" he called out and he heard Belle's echoing voice sound from all around him. She sounded terrified,

"Rumple! Help! I can't see! Rumple I can't see you!" she cried and he looked around desperately for her,

"Just stay calm! I'm find you!" he yelled in assurance and he could hear his darling Belle begin to cry,

"Rumple…. I….. I feel strange…. I feel so sad" she said miserably and Rumple began to panic,

"No No No Belle… Don't let the dark one in. He's trying to make you think of only the bad. Think of everything that is good" he almost begged but he heard her sobbing,

"I….. I can't. I feel so alone. All my life I've been lied too….. I don't even know who I am anymore" she said sadly and Rumple suddenly walking a distance away in front of him blindly. He saw the tears on her cheeks,

"I can see you. It's ok I'm going to save you but you need to trust me" he told her but he saw her shake her head sadly,

"I can't trust anyone…. I'm nobody. I don't even know why I have these powers" she said sadly and Rumple reached out his hand towards her,

"We'll find out together Belle….. I swear to you. Please just allow yourself to see me. Please Belle I need you" he begged and he saw her shake her teary head,

"No one needs me" she said sadly and for a moment Rumple felt hopeless before he had an idea,

"Belle I'm going to tell you the only words you need to know right now" he told her and he saw her look around confused,

"What words?" she asked and he smiled softly to himself for a moment,

"I love you" he said softly and Belle felt as well as heard the words surround her and her eyes finally fell on Rumple and she looked relieved,

"Rumple" she said quietly and he smiled before holding out his hands towards her,

"You've saved me numerous times since we met Belle. Will you allow me to save you just this one time?" he asked gently as he saw her move towards him slowly and he smiled encouragingly,

"Take my hands" he told her gently and she reached out slowly before taking his hands and he pulled her to him and he hugged her tightly and she looked up at him despite the tears in her eyes,

"I love you too" she whispered before they both hugged each other tightly.

* * *

There was a blast of light and the cloud of darkness evaporated. Both Rumple and Belle looked quickly to find that Milah had been petrified so much by the power of their love that she turned to stone. As had the dagger in her hand and the statue suddenly turned to dust.

* * *

Bae jumped out of Marian's arms and ran up to Rumple and Belle before hugging their sides,

"Are we safe now?" he asked timidly and they both looked at him before smiling and Rumple ruffled his hair gently,

"Yes Bae… We're safe now" he told him gently and he giggled,

"Are you and Mama Belle going to live happily ever after?" he asked innocently and Belle's eyes widened and she smiled brightly when Bae called her mama and Rumple shared her expression before he chuckled and he smiled softly at Belle,

"Yes Bae….. I certainly think we will" he said gently and Belle smiled back with a gentle blush before they all hugged each other. It wasn't long until Marian and Mrs Potts joined the embrace.

* * *

As the sun was setting Rumple walked with Belle through the Rose garden and he smiled gently at her,

"Did you speak to Mrs Potts?" he asked gently and she nodded gently with a smile,

"Apparently my birth parents were King William and Queen Madeline." She told him gently,

"My magic came from my mother. She was originally a druid girl before she met my birth father and they fell in love" she told him with a gentle smile and he nodded,

"Will you tell Maurice that you know?" he asked and she smiled before looking at him and shook her head,

"No… Killian, Robin and my papa are the only family I have ever known. I am grateful to have learnt about my birth parents" she told him gently before resting her head on his shoulder and he looked at her nervously,

"How will you explain all this… 'me' to your father?" he asked and Belle smiled brightly at him,

"I will tell him the truth" she said simply and he looked terrified and she giggled,

"I will tell my father that a prisoner of the dark one saved me and I've fallen in love. I will tell him that the beast is no more" she said gently and Rumple sighed in relief before smiling softly at her and he pulled her closed to him gently and she giggled before wrapping her arms around his neck,

"I love you" he whispered gently and she smiled before resting her forehead against his own,

"I love you too" she whispered back.

* * *

The both leaned in slowly before sharing a soft yet passionate kiss. The dark one and Milah were never mentioned between them again. They married a year later and Belle adopted Bae as her own son a month after their wedding. Life was perfect. Belle had found beauty within a beast just had he had seen beauty within her. They had both found true love with each other.

* * *

As for Robin and Regina… Well thanks to Belle their family's fortune had been mysteriously restored and Robin was able to give Regina the huge white fairy tale wedding she truly deserved. Killian smiled as he watched his little brother dance with his wife when someone offered him a flask of Rum,

"Dancing not your thing Hook?" asked a teasing voice and he looked at the beautiful blond woman who was offering him the flask,

"Depends on the partner swan?" he said with a wink and she smiled before rolling her eyes, taking a swig from the flask before handing it to him. That was how Killian and Emma's love story truly began but that is a whole other story.

* * *

 **And They All Lived Happily Ever After**

* * *

 **I hope you all enjoyed 'A Tale As Old As Time' :) I've truly enjoyed writing this story. Thank you to everyone who has supported it. Please review one final time to let me know what you thought overall :)**

 **Kind Regards,**

 **TheAuthor1996**


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